By the Rev. Canon J. E. Jackson, F.8.A. 17 



2. — Earl of Hertford (?) to the Council.* 

 " From Alnwick 29 Nov. xii of the clock 



" My Lords after mooste hartye Recomendations unto your good lordships it 

 maye pleas tlie same to understand that yesterdaye at night arrived here with 

 me Henry Rey pursuyvant at Armes declaring unto me at length the mooste 

 cruell mooste pitifull and moost shamefuU murdre of the Kings Maties true 

 servante Somerset Harrold at Armes as he was coming in his retorne hitherwardes 

 with aunswere from Th erle of Murrey touching the delyvree of our prysoners 

 nowe in Scotland whos letter I was soo bold to opene and to loke uppon the 

 contayne thereof, which if I had knowen a little sooner thene I did it mought per- 

 chance have coste many of their lives. And in my pore opynyon, my lords, this 

 despiteful! murder is oon of the greattest dishonour that ever came unto the King 

 and ReaLme of Scotland, and cannot otherwise bee takene but that it was con- 

 spired, ymagyned and prepensed before by some maynteyners and berers of the 

 murderers considering that after the murdre commytted, they disclosed theyr 

 names to bee Leche and Presteman as if this prepensed murdre shuld be done by 

 Englishe traytors and not by Scottish men, and as me seemeth by the discovere 

 of Barwik's declaration, that the said Leche and Presteman having none other 

 Refuge but oonly in Scotland, durste never have reveled their names soo many- 

 festly upon the commytting this detestable murdre ; whiche thing and sundiy 

 other conjectures gaddered oute as well by the demeanour of the said Somerset, 

 he never being at quarrell nor distaunce with any man in Scotland nor none there 

 with him as, by the discourse of the said declaration, causethe me to think that it 

 was done by some othere malitious Scottishmen namyng themself after the mur- 

 ders to be Leche and (Presteman), and that it was a murdre rather prepensed by 

 conspiring enemies than otherwise. But surely, my lords, the King's Mat'" 

 hath by theis meanes loste oon wise discrete and trusty servant and as toward a 

 man for his tyme by such knowlege as I have herd of hym as any was in th' 

 office at Armes. 



" I doo sende unto your lordshipps herewith as well the said Erie of MuiTcys 

 letter and also oon other letter of his sente unto the said Barwick, to my Lord of 

 Norfolk as the declaration of the same Barwick conteyning the said murdre, and 

 also such other newes as he perceived at his retorne from out of Scotland." 

 [2%e rest about military movements.^ 



3. — Copi/ of"a letter sent to the King of Scots by the Earl of Cassels, <^c. 



" 6 Dec. 1542 



" Sir, it will please your grace, this ferd (?) day of December my Lord of 

 Hertford cam fra the bordures to this town [Newcastle] and showed to us that 

 Somersed Harold was lately slayn comand [coming] fra your giuce within 

 Scotland. And syns we have hard qwho [how] your grace hais apprehendit 

 the comitters of the said habominable crime. And sii' we youi' graces subjects 

 coulde do noa lesse nor advertis your grace ; beliefand [believing] sui'ely your 

 grace will cause the said cryme be duly punished and prinsipally that the execution 



• This letter is in the original rough draft, and is endorsed " the copy of a Ire to the oounsaillo 

 xxix. nov. at xii at noon .•" no writer's name is given, but it appears to be in the handwriting of 

 the first Sir John Thynne, and, from the corrections, to have been composed by him for the Earl of 

 Hertford. 



VOL. XVIII. — NO. LII. C 



