160 



Wulfhall and the Seymours. 



plans, and the help of friends, they effected their liberty separately 

 the same day, agreeing to meet at a vessel moored in the Thames, 

 near Gravesend, and so escape together to France. Her boatmen 

 being fearful and impatient, rowed her far beyond the place appointed 

 for meeting. So Seymour, on arriving there and missing her, took 

 another vessel and reached the coast of Flanders in safety. She 

 reached Calais roads, but whilst waiting there in intense anxiety for 

 him, was overtaken by a King's ship called " The Adventure" and 

 brought back to the Tower. On the table is a letter from Sir 

 William Monson to the Earl of Salisbury {Appendix, No. xix.) re- 

 lating to this important capture : the marks on which show in what 

 a state of excitement the Government was about this affair. It was 

 sent up to London by express post, and is endorsed with the word 

 (e Haste/' repeated no less than six times, and with the precise hour 

 of the messenger's arrival at the different stages of his gallop. 



Another singular discovery, relating to the Lady Arabella, re- 

 warded my researches at Longleat. I was clearing out a large closet 

 in the Old Library, filled chiefly with bulky account books of the 

 house, going as far as three centuries back. The closet was very 

 dark ; so I brought them out one by one, into the sunshine, and laid 

 them, when recognized, each on its proper heap, in the order of the 

 names of the successive owners of the house. I thought I had quite 

 emptied the hiding-place ; but, to make sure, went in once more, 

 and luckily detected in the farthest corner, a long narrow book, so 

 much of the colour of the floor, that it had very nearly been over- 

 looked altogether. On being examined, it was headed, on the first 

 page :— 



M An Accompt of all soche monies as have bin receyved by me for my Lady's 

 use sins the 22nd August, 1609." 



This seemed to refer to some lady manager of Longleat, but that 

 would not fit the domestic history : because, in " 1609," all accounts 

 would have been rendered to " My Master," and not to " My Lady:" 

 besides which, the items of money received or paid, did not in any way 

 refer to local matters, but to " The Lord Treasurer/' " Whitehall," 

 and the like. But no name for " My Lady " was to be found. So 

 the old book was in the act of being closed and laid aside for future 



