3S 



Longleat Papers, No, 3. 



Leycester, 1 dismissing the rumour as "a Woman's Tale." 



" My singular good Lo. yo r . Ires to me were acceptably receyved w* hir Ma tie8 

 unto whom I was bold to present them : becawse they cheff elye recorded the 

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

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

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

 Twise she hathe red them : and in that I see this course of your dealynge dothe 

 worke suche comfort and contentment in hir I wold wishe you often wrotte too 

 soo good prof ytt in the same or suche like propoticions. Hir highness praithe 

 you excuse hir yf she now writtithe not to your lp. w h . she lothelye deferithe be- 

 cause you take soo great joye as she percevithe in hir scribelyd lynes : w h . thoughe \ 

 in paper you fynd crokyd and awrye, in matter you shall ever fynd to be treu I 

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

 Ma tie thynkithe your absence muche drawen in too lengthe, and spetially in that 

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

 you, but yet chargithe you that you now goo throughe accordinge too your 

 physitians opynion, for if now thes watters worke not A full good effect, hir I 

 highnes will never concent that you cumber yo r sclfe and hir with suche lonnge I 

 iorney agayne. My good 1. yo r brothers busenes goythe slowly e on. The indis- I 

 position of hir Ma ties 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 I 

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



" The byssop of Canterbury [Grindal]' has ofte sent too me too enquire of y r I 

 good Lp. helpe in re[spect] off his cause.* I have not answerid that yo r Lp hathe Ij 

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

 whos hands when good may grow (w h . yet I fynd not) I will soo deale : it shalbe 1 

 delivered by yo r . hands. Of the matter of mariage w ch . 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 tie beginnithe to stande doutefull 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 earnestlie requerithe yo r . Lp. that you comaunde 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 ch (as Grise saythe) is nedefull to be 

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

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



1 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 

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

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

 of Grindal, 8vo., p. 343. 



