108 



Some Notice of William Herbert, 



arrest Paget and Pembroke ; Winchester and Rochester discussed 

 the feasibility of seizing them, but Lord Howard and the Channel 

 Fleet were thought to present too formidable an obstacle. 



At last Mary was gladdened by the announcement of the arrival 

 of the Marquis de las Navas at Plymouth, with the news that the 

 Prince was by that time on his way. The marquis, who was major- 

 domo to the Prince, is described as being " an ancient gentleman 

 about the year of fifty or better, bearing himself very honorably." 



The marquis landed at Plymouth on the 1st June, where he was 

 met by Edward Lord Dudley, accompanied by the Earl of Pembroke, 

 for the purpose of conducting him to court. Although Mary had 

 never received a line of sympathy or love from Philip, he had sent 

 her by the hands of the envoy a single diamond with its ornaments, 

 valued at eighty-thousand crowns. An interesting letter is preserved 

 in the Record Office, 1 which I print in full, describing the visit of 

 the envoy with his large retinue and attendants, to Wilton House, 

 on his way to London, and their reception on the route by Pem- 

 broke's youthful son, Lord Herbert, and other magnates of the 

 county. It was sent by Lord Dudley to the Council. 



" May hytt please youre honors to vnderstand thatt, acordynge to my aduer- 

 tysementt frome Shaftesburye, the Marques on Sonday laste lay att Wylton the 

 Yerle of Pembrokes howse ; ande by the way, cummynge thytherwarde, the sayd 

 Marques was honorably met w l my Lorde Harbartt, who had of hys owne nomber 

 cc horse, gentylmen ande yemen, all well horsed and appoyntted ; ande, besydes, 

 the Shryfe of the Shy re, w* the gentyllmen thereof, ande theyre servantes, weere 

 other cc horse ; so thatt in the whole they weere fowre hundrethe. And as thys 

 Marques ande Yerle wentt and rode to Wylton theyre weere certeyn cowrses att 

 the hare, whyche was so pleasantt thatt the Marques muche delyted in f eyndynge 

 the cowrses so reddelye apoynted. As for the Marques greate cheyre, as well 

 thatt nyght att sowper, as otherwyse att hys brekef aste the nextt day, surely hytt 

 was so abundantt thatt hytt was natt a lyttyll marveyle to consyder thatt so 

 greate a preparacyon cowlde be made in so small a warnynge. Surely the 

 Marques hathe natt a lyttyll marveyled of hys enterteynmentt thatt he had w* 

 my Lord Harbartt — whatt for the meatynge of hyme, hys pastyme by the way, 

 w* hys greate cheyre ; ande agayn, the hansomnes and commodyteys of Wylton, 

 w* the goode apoyntementt and the goode f ornyture thereof ; in all thynges 

 wherof the better hathe nott been seen. Ande surely hytt was natt a lyttyll com- 

 fortt to my harte to see all thynges so honorablye vsed for the honor ande servys 

 of the Queenes Maiestey. As for the lyttyll Lorde Harbartt, althoughe he 



1 State Papers, Domestic, Mary, vol. 4, No. 13. 



