By the Rev. Canon J. E. Jackson, F.S.A. 



43 



"West onhanger, in Kent, leaving Corsham to his son Henry. See 

 w Wiltshire Collections, Aubrey and Jackson/' p. 79.] 



" I have receaved } T o r honors Ire, pereeavinge therby that yo r . Lordshippe hath 



C XX 



bought of Alexander Vaneore of the nomber of £ij iiij xiiij [294] Pearle to 



C XX 



the price of xxvj 9 the peece, w ch . arnounteth to £iij iiij ij iiij 8 [£382 4*.] Y r L. 



c XX 



Iiv doth specefie but of £iij iiij j. so that by this Reekoninge the account is 

 cast to short by j u . iiij 8 . [£1 4a\], w che yt rnaye please you allowe or desalowe 

 of. accoidinge to yo r L. Ire I anie content to geve my Bond havinge yo r honors 

 counterbond for my indempnitye. Whereas I gave creditt by yo r honors Ire, 

 and M r . Seacretarye Walsinghams unto Mr. Dee for one hundred pounds to be 

 paid liime at Hambrogh w ch . nionye he hath there receaved, and delivered a Bill 

 on me for the same, to be paid here the xv th of this moneth, prayinge yo r . L. to 

 move Mr. Seacretarye, that order maye be taken for the awnsweringe of the same. 

 I have demaunded of Mr. Peter for the custome of the Pearle, and he sheweth 

 me that theie were sent for by your honors order, and therfore youe must paye 

 for them Custome of them. Thus the Holy ghoste preserve yo r honors long life 

 and good healthe. London the xij th of December An 0 . 1578 



" yours honner's ever Eedy at comaundment 

 " To the right honorable " Thomas Smythe " 



my singular good Lord 

 the Earle of Leicester. 

 Yeve these." 



XXVII. — 1580, February 18th. Lettice Knollys, Countess 

 of Leicester. 



[Lettice Knollys, daughter of Sir Francis Knollys, K.G., of Rother- 

 field Grey, Co. Essex, married, first, Walter Devereux, Earl of 

 Essex, and by him was the mother of Robert Devereux, second 

 Earl of Essex, the unfortunate favourite of Queen Elizabeth. 

 After Leicester's separation from his second wife — Lady Sheffield 

 — he married Lettice, then Countess Dowager o£ Essex. After 

 Leicester's death, in 1588, she married, thirdly, Sir Christopher 

 Blunt, who was beheaded in 1601 for having been concerned in 

 her son Robert's rebellion. No lady was ever more involved in 

 family dishonours and troubles, the history of which is so full of 

 contradictory statements that it is almost now hopeless to arrive at 

 the truth. Leicester's enemies said that as he had poisoned her 



