194 Longleat Papers, A.D. 1553 — 1588. 



umberland, who having the good lord the Marquis of 



Northampton, the Erie of Huntingdon and other personages of estata . . . 



Soverayne power for the repression of 



for the defence of this Realme shall require. By your 



good travail therein you shall not only declare yourselves good and faithful 

 ministers to the Q,uene's Highness and your country, but also well deserve to 

 find hir Highness your good and gracious Lady in any reasonable suites; and 

 also most redye to further your said suites accordingly. And this we byd you 

 most harteley well to fare. From the Tower of London the xij of July 1653. 

 Yo^ loving Frendes 

 T. Cant.* T. Ely. Canc.+ Win Chester. J 

 J. Bedford. § H. Suffolk. || F. Shrowsbert.^ 

 Pembroke.** Wm. PETRE.ff Wm. Cessell.|J 

 J, Cheke.§§ R. Rich.II II Robert Bowes.^^ 

 To our loving Frendes, the Sheriff of the Couatye of "Wiltes, the Justices of 

 Peace of the same County, and to every of them." 



II. — 9th July, 1561. The Council's Instetjctions to the 

 Sheriff and Justices of the County of Wilts. 

 [Owing to political and religious confusion during the early years of 

 Elizabeth^'s reign, the internal administration of this country was 

 at times much unsettled. The Council have provided an Abridge- 

 ment of the Statutes which they distribute : and add some sharp 

 advice to the Justices themselves.] 



" After our harty comendations. Where the Queen's Maj'^ hath by her 

 most gratiouse letters earnestly recommended unto you the governance of that 

 County according as by her Ma*'*'* comission under her grate scale of England 

 you have sufficient authority : we doubte not consideringe her Ma**^ requireth 

 of you onely that w'^'' yourselfs shuld receive most damage but [i.e. , unles8'\ 



•Thos. Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. Hie letter to Queen Mary apologizing for this pro- 

 ceeding, is printed in Strype's Life of Cranmer, II., 919. 



+ Thos. Goodriok, Bp. of Ely, Lord Chancellor. 

 tWm. Paulet, Marquis of Winchester, Lord High Tieasurer. 

 } J. Russell, first Earl of Bedford, Lord Prity Seal, ' 

 II Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, Father of Lady Jane. 

 11 Francis Talbot, 5th Earl of Shrewsbury. 

 •• Wm. Herbert, Ist Earl of Pembroke. 

 ++Sir Wm. Petre, Secretary of State. 

 tt William Cecil, afterwards Lord Burleigh. 

 }? Sir John Cheke, Secretary of State. Had been Greek Tutor to K. Edw. VI. 

 II II Richard Rich, Baron Rich, Ex-Chancellor, Lord Lieut, of Co. Essex. 

 HIT Sir Robert Bowes, Master of the Rolls. 

 The Lords of the Council who signed the letter to the Justices " turned about " (says Strype) " the 

 very next day : and thus poor Sir John Cheke (who had written this letter to the Sheriff of Wilts) 

 " was left in the lurch.' ' He was committed as a traitor to the Tower, was afterwards pardoned, 

 but being almost spoiled of his substance went abroad. 



Some Letters about the conflicting Proclamations of Queen Jane Grey and Queen Mary (also pre- 

 serrel at Longleat), have already appeared in the Wilts Arch. Magazine, toI. tIU. p. SIO, 



