NORBURY MANOR HOUSE AND THE FITZHERBERTS. 251 
proofe in yor memorye. And if your Lo: will resolve mee now directly & 
plainely your Lre. by this bearrer y™ pleasure, & therein unto what I shall trust 
Ishall honor you the more, wishinge that I maye still have occasyon to honor 
yo" most, from my solitary Sumerley y® xx of February 1603. 
y° Lordship’s auncyent honorrerr 
As ye Lorde Godd dothe know 
Ric. TOPCLYFFE.” * 
_ ** Right honorrable the dewty that I have so longe carryed to yor noble 
howse & the honest Ladye I professed to you in yor youthe Can (in mee) 
hardlye yet bee slackedd, which had taken suche houlde in my hartte & so 
have I shown likely dyvers tymes synce I have fonde many showes of alteracon 
on yo Lorshep. But I will still bee plaine Topclyffe And if I colde do anye- 
thinge to prove that the Ancyent honor I dertermyned to you is not of my 
partte given over by any unkindness offerred to trve mee you were like to fynde 
mee more honest Then any nombur of flattererres & Scowthers I hearinge 
that the Queans Mate that now is dothe come to yo Lo: house to Woor- 
soppe parke shortlye & as yett the tyme unknown to mee I (not lyke a faunn- 
inge Curre, I but beinge & bearringe for my Cognizanc a Gentill white hownde 
Syttinge, Reddy & Cayffringe with his Taylle upon his backe, To abyde all 
Tryalls) do sende to yo : Lo: for oulde Loove the best & highest fallowe deare, 
that it is Sumerly parke, or (I thinke that is in Lyncolnshire) Wildefedd, and 
I have sentte your Lordship therewith iiij pyses of the best stagge that I have 
seene (of a wilde deare) in whittson weeke, Bayked by a Cooke yt Learned 
Cunnynge in yo. noble fathers howsse, when ye Skottish Queen did remayne 
with that Erlle, And if I hadd known the Certen day of thys good Queen 
bee cominge to your Lordship I would have sentte your lordship sume 
yonge Heronsaws out of the nestes which well Baked is excellent meatte 
coulde or hotte & better than roasted, And if your Lordship like to have 
some yonge hearron saws against the day of your Lordships doinge if your 
Lordship will comande this Bearer to bringe somme quick hearronsaws to 
Woorsoppe to you, suche as Bee then unfloun I have gotten these handy 
to bringe to your Lordship. But . . . . I colde have sent you a C. 
and if I sholde thinke that your Lordship would tayke my coortesye as a 
flatterye I woolde haytte my selfe for doinge like a Genti’ll hownde as I 
am, in my hartte and so trustinge your Lordship will repute mee in humble 
sorte as dothe become the parte of a playne friende, I end at my solitarye 
house Summerly and reddy to ryde towards Dore This Wednesday 
the xvi of June 1603. 
** Yr, Lordships playne faythfull 
““ well wysher 
* Ric. TOPCLIFFE.’+ 
* The Talbot MS. Papers, at College of Arms, M. 184. 
+ The Shrewsbury MS. Papers, at Lambeth Library, vol. v. f. 141. 
