38 Longleai Papers, No. 3. 



Leycester/ dismissing the rumour as "a Woman's Tale." 



" My singuler good Lo. yo'. Ires to me were acceptably receyved w' hir Ma"" 

 unto whom I was bold to present them : becawso they cbefEelye recoi-ded the 

 testimonye of yo^ most loiall disposition from the begynninge too this present 

 time. The Q. rejoyced muche in the matter, and was pleased too protest y' she 

 full well believed it : whatever the malice of the world wold make of the contrary. 

 Twise she bathe red them : and in that I see this course of your dealyuge dothe 

 worke suche comfort and contentment in hir I wold wishe you often wi-otte too 

 SCO good profytt in the same or suche like propoticions. Hir highness praithe 

 you excuse hir j'f she now writtithe not to your Ip. w''. she lothelye deferithe be- 

 cause you take soo great joye as she percjvithe in hir scribelyd lynes : w''. thovrghe 

 in pa])er you fynd crokyd and awrye, in matter you shall ever fynd to be treu 

 and straite and as full of faythe as any meaner friend could make them. Her 

 Ma*'« thynkithe your absence muche drawen in too lengthe, and spetially in that 

 place, supposinge in dede that A shorter tim? wold worke as good effecte with 

 ^ou, but j'et chargithe j^ou that you now goo throughe accordinge too your 

 physitians opynion, for if now thes watters woi-ke not A full good effect, hir 

 highnes will never concent that you cumber yo'' selfe and hir with suche lonnge 

 iorney agayne. My good 1. yo' brothers busenes goj'the slowlye on. The indis- 

 position of hir Ma''^= bodie forbiddithe us in reason too troble hir in matters of 

 suche nature, but my good L. I will noo lesse deale [therein] then I am most 

 bound when I shall fynd A tyme that [I may] aptelie further o^ good purpose. 



" The hyssop of Canterbury [Grindal] has ofte sent too me too enquire of y' 

 good Lp. helpe in re[spect] off his cause.* I have not answerid that yo' Lp bathe 

 effectually written in the same. And I have delt accordyngly with hir ma'"' at 

 whos hands when good may grow (w*". yet I fynd not) I will soo deale : it shalbe 

 delivered by yo'. hands. Of the matter of mariage w"^"". I supposed in A practise 

 I here noo more : nether can I suspecte reson[ably] otherwise then that it was 

 some folishe woman's tale. Hir Ma"'= begiunithe to stande doutefuU of hir 

 progresse, and in dede if hir helthe be not moore constantly assuered too hir it 

 were not fitt to take so longe a iorney. 



" Hir highnes most earuestlie requerithe yo'. Lp. that you comaimde some 

 speciall provision too be made for geldings for hir owne sadell : she fynding 

 greatt want of them, and without she may be better furnished she thynke it im- 

 possible she should passe the progresse without hir great travell and disease. 

 The great warrant is . . . Lp. there w*^'' (as Grise saythe) is nedefull to be 

 passed . . . Ther be diverse new occurrents from Flanders, France and other 

 parts, w'=''. in dede I have not yet seen. Mr. Secretary I trust will acquaint your 



^ The Earl of Leycester was at Buxton, Derbyshire, taking the waters. The 

 original of this letter is in a very frail and undecipherable condition. Sir 

 Christopher Hatton, on reaching the foot of the first page, turned the paper 

 upside down, to continue his writing : and in a Postscript makes a droll apology. 



• This probably alludes to the disgrace into which Grindal had fallen with the Queen, about the 

 " Exercisca or FropUcsyings," which she very much disliked, and ordered him to put down. It 

 ended by his being confined to his house and being sequestered lor six months. Sec Strype's Life 

 of Grindal, 8vo., p. 343. 



