תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

And that

XIX.

"thought impossible to be done; so if his wisdom had not CHAP. "been the only means, whereby his great faults [in failing "in his terms] had been borne withal, it had been long ago Anno 1579. "overthrown, to his utter shame and undoing. "sir Edw. Horsey had lent him money to go on. That he "had with much ado brought to work this point; that he "found, that the earth which had been housed but since "Christmas last, yielded such quantities of stuff, as assured "him of treble increase in continuance. That at first he lost "all that he had ever bestowed in one whole year, by reason "of unseasonable weather. He requested the supply of "1007. without which he was unable to finish this great "work: whereupon, he said, he had bestowed 10007." What success this business further had, I know not.

vices for

For the same end and purpose, viz. the safety of the land, Lane's defortification was also necessary. One Rafe Lane, a project- fortificaing gentleman of these times, (especially in martial affairs,) tions. offers to the lord treasurer devices for fortification: now especially for the seaports, when some invasion was this year expected. What he would undertake, and what satisfaction he would give, to assure the queen to make good what he offered, let his letter to that lord speak, as follows:

treasurer.

"Knowing how grateful a thing it hath been to all princes His letter to "in any necessity, to have in time special service offered unto the lord "them: and how lamentable ruins by hostile invasion or at"tempts may befall to a whole kingdom, for want of a timely

66

66

provision, (in appearance though small.) Forasmuch as I “understand, by no vulgar report, her majesty is likely this 'year to be attempted in more places than one; I have "therefore presumed at this present, for her majesty's ser"vice, and for the safety of the whole estate, against any foreign force whatsoever, to put your lordship (as my most "special good lord) in remembrance of such a mean, as shall, "with the favour of the Almighty, to the end aforesaid, be "of great force, of small charge; and in very short time to "be accomplished and finished.

66

"Sir, my plat briefly doth concern an ordinance and for"tification of all the harbours that her majesty hath, either

II.

Anno 1579.

BOOK" in England or Ireland. The same to be for three months "tenable, against any power or battery royal, either by sea 66 or land...... The work of the said fortification to be both "begun and also to be accomplished, ready for the said de"fence, within the space of one month after the first spade "shall be put in the ground: and that without further set"tling and seasoning...... And because neither her majesty "shall adventure any charge, nor your lordship any speech "or commendation of any my sufficiency, without some 66 apparent proof and ocular testimony beforehand; I am, (having warrant for the same,) in any convenient place of "ground, wheresoever to be assigned unto me, to make a "demonstration of my aforesaid offer; by rearing the first "turf, and laying forth the first ground-plot, both spacious "and massive, ready afterwards, and easy to be finished and perfected by every common labourer, even with common "direction, for the defence above-mentioned.

617

The lords and others of the queen's

privy-council.

Anno 1579.

66

66

1

"The time of this my trial shall be seven days. The "charges 207. to be laid out upon eighty labourers. The "time for finishing and perfecting the same for defence one "month. The charge of the whole; the first 20%. three "times triplicated; and four times doubled. The first proof “whereof, viz. of the first seven days, shall be at my charge: "being no less desirous to do her majesty some effectual, important service, than glad, that her majesty should not "altogether be ignorant, both of my dutiful devotion any 66 way to serve her majesty, and of some sufficiency (more "than looked for at my hands) in some effectual sort to per"form the same."

66

I end this year with the names, titles, and offices of those that were now of her majesty's privy-council.

1. Sir Thomas Bromley, kt. lord chancellor of England.
2. Lord Burghley, lord treasurer of England.
3. Earl of Shrewsbury.

4. Earl of Lincoln, lord admiral.

5. Earl of Sussex, lord chamberlain of the household.
6. Earl of Arundel.

7. Earl of Warwick, master of the ordnance.

8. Earl of Bedford.

9. Earl of Leicester, master of the horse.

10. Lord of Hunsdon.

11. Sir Francis Knolles, treasurer of the household. 12. Sir James Crofte, comptroller of the household. 13. Sir Christopher Hatton, vice-chamberlain.

14. Sir Henry Sidney, kt. of the order, lord president, &c. 15. Sir Francis Walsingham, and

16. Mr. Thomas Wylson, esq. principal secretaries.

17. Sir Raufe Sadler, chancellor of the duchy.

18. Sir Walter Mildmay, chancellor of the exchequer.

СНАР.
XIX.

Anno 1579.

CHAP. XX.

The French king's brother departs. The queen's concern thereat. The French ambassador and prince of Condé in private communication with the queen, about assisting of the king of Navar. What it was, the queen tells the lord treasurer. His thoughts of Conde's message. The queen's message by Randolph to Scotland, in favour of earl Morton, and for removing D'Aubigny from the king. Her notable declaration to those states assembled, by Randolph. Ill counsellors about the king: their names and characters. That nation's ingratitude to the queen. Some account of earl Morton. D'Aubigny professes himself a protestant. The lord president of the north, his letter concerning these Scotch matters. A popish rebellion, and invasion in Ireland.

618

IT was not before this year, 1580, that monsieur departed Anno 1580. home out of England, re infecta, to the nation's great satis- Duke d'Anjou departs faction. He took shipping for Flanders; and minded to out of England at Flushing; where the Estates were to meet him, land. Thence intending for Antwerp. Whither he went to assist those of the Low Countries against the Spaniard. He was very honourably attended with many of the nobility: and there went over with him the earl of Leicester, the lord Hunsdon, the lord Charles Howard, the lord Thomas How

· II.

BOOK ard, the lord Windsor, lord Sheffield, lord Willoughby, and a number of young gentlemen beside. As soon as he came Anno 1580. to Antwerp, all of the English nation returned back. And

The parting sorrowful.

upon report of a great scarcity both of victuals and all things else in Flanders at this time, the earl of Leicester carried over with him fifty beeves and five hundred muttons, for the provision, during their being there.

The departure was mournful between her highness and monsieur: she loath to let him go, and he as troubled to depart; and promised to return in March. But how his causes in the Low Countries would permit him was uncertain. He took shipping at Sandwich. But in the way betwixt Canterbury and Sandwich, a French gentleman, called La Fine, lost a portmanteau, full of jewels, esteemed in value to be 6000 crowns: which caused the gentleman to stay in England, in hopes to hear some good tidings of them. The lord Howard went away the night before, to see the ships in readiness. And being aboard, in the night-time, by the forgetfulness of a bow, the ship was set on fire in the gun-room. And before it was espied, it had almost got to the powder. By great chance, a man of that lord's laid himself flat in the flame, and tumbled in it: and so stayed the fire from the powder, till water came; otherwise it had blown up the ship, 619 and all that were aboard. That party was scorched, both face and hands; and his girdle burnt. It was one of the greatest ships.

The queen

accompa

All this was the news at court, sent to the earl of Shrewsnies him to bury by his son, Francis Talbot. As also that the queen Canterbury.herself accompanied monsieur as far as Canterbury. And

that she was minded to go to Greenwich or St. James's; though Greenwich was not now altogether free of the plague. At her return she meant to lodge at no place in which she had lodged as she went, [to prevent, as it seems, the reviving the thoughts of monsieur.] Neither would she come at Whitehall; because the place should not give cause of remembrance of him to her, with whom she so unwillingly parted. Where we cannot but observe, that such was her majesty's presence of mind, and care of her subjects' wel

fare, that she subdued her private affection for the public CHAP. good.

XX.

ambassador

I add a private accident happening to the French am- Anno 1580. bassador this summer, in June 1580, who riding abroad to The French take the air, in his return came through Smithfield: where stopt: and at the bars he was stayed by those officers that sat there, why. to cut swords; by reason his rapier was longer than the late statute made for the length of such weapons, (for which the queen issued out a strict proclamation the last year ;) which put the ambassador into a great fury, drawing his rapier. In the mean season the lord Henry Seimour came in; and so stayed the matter. The queen hearing of it was greatly offended with the officers; but imputing it to their want of judgment, that matter passed off.

summer.

and he have

Nonsuch.

of Condé at

This ambassador did earnestly ply his grand business this The queen And being at Nonsuch, in the month of June, communiprivate communication was held between them for some cation at hours; present only Leicester and Hatton, the lord treasurer coming thither that evening. The prince of Condé The prince was now also there: who came to solicit the queen's assistance in behalf of the king of Navar, his brother, and the protestants in France. So that she had two very weighty matters this summer upon her hand: wherein the matter of religion was interwoven, as well as the safety of herself and her kingdoms.

court.

this com

was, shewn

lord Sussex.

Concerning the particular state and management of these What the affairs, the lord treasurer gave account to the earl of Sussex subject of in a private letter at Nonsuch, whither he was newly come munication from Theobald's. "That repairing towards the privy-by the lord "chamber to have seen her majesty, he found the door at Burghley to "the upper end of the presence-chamber shut. And then "understood that the French ambassador had been a long "time with her majesty; and the prince of Condé also. "That that evening the ambassador acquainted him [the "lord treasurer] with a part of their proceedings; being pleased with her majesty for her temperate dealings. "That he found Condé's disposition rather inclined to move "troubles in France than peace. And that he thought

[ocr errors]
« הקודםהמשך »