on the fronters kept never better watche in tyme of warre, then they doo now. And as it is said proclamacion is made through the Emperours lande, that every man being under hys obeisaunce, within vj. wekes to come and be resident within hys domynion. And thus I pray Jesu preserve you with prosperous lif and long to his high pleasore. From Calais the xxvij day of February.

Your own to commawnd

ARTHUR LYSSLE.

LETTER CXXVIII.

Margaret Countess of Salisbury to a Lady, concerning the marriage of the lady's daughter.

[MS. COTTON. VESPASIAN F. XIII. fol. 88. Orig.]

Margaret Countess of Salisbury has been slightly mentioned in the former Series. She was the second daughter of George Duke of Clarence brother of King Edward the Fourth, and was born at Farley Castle in Somersetshire. She married Sir Richard de la Pole, Knt. In the 5th Hen. VIIIth. she was allowed to inherit the state and dignity of her brother Edward Earl of Warwick and Salisbury, who had been attainted in the 19th of Henry VIIth.; and was allowed to bear the second of his titles. On the 14th of October in the same year, she had the King's letters patent for all the castles, manors, and lands of Richard Earl of Salisbury, her grandfather, which came to the Crown by her brother's attainder.

Sandford, from a manuscript in the Library of the Herald's College, acquaints us that the COUNTESS of SALISBURY, by the particular

direction of Queen Catherine of Arragon, had the care of the Lady Mary's education. It was probably at this time that the following Letter was composed. It ought perhaps to have had an earlier place assigned to it in the Collection, but being without a positive date it was thought best to connect it with the letters which related to the Countess's attainder.

MADAME, I recommend me unto you, doyng you to undrestonde that I have receyved your Lettres by your servante concernyng the maryage of your doughter, by the whiche I do perceyve that the Gentilwoman beyng accompaned with your said doughter unto your howse, hath informed you that it was my mynde for hir to certyfye you that the Controwler of the Pryncesse howsolde dothe bere hys synguler favour to your said doughter. Trewly she mysusyd hir selff in gevyng you any suche knowlege on my behalff, for I ensure you that I dyd geve unto hir no comaundment so to do, for at that tyme I had harde no comunycacion touchyng that matter. Howbeit sens oure departyng from Hartelbury, the said Controwler hathe movyd and comonyd with me therin, of the whiche I have certyfied your doughter, but I canne perceyve no thyng in hyr wherby any effecte shulde be had or taken in that matter. Wherfore I pray you to be a good and naturall modre unto hyr, and I doute not but she will alwayes use hirselue to you as a naturall chylde ought to do to hir modre: and wolde advyse you to looke wele upon the matter whiche I sent you woorde of before tyme, that it may be brought to a good ende for

in

my mynde it wolde be a veary meate bargayn if it be wele fynyshed and come to passe. And thus I pray God it may be accomplessed to bothe your comfortis. From Worcetor the xxth daye of August.

MARG'ET SALISBERY.

LETTER CXXIX.

Sir Thomas Wriothesly at Brussels, to Sir Thomas Wyat in Spain, upon the commitment of the Marquis of Exeter and Lord Montacute to the Tower. A. D. 1538.

[FRAGM. IN THE COTTONIAN LIBRARY, CALIG. D. XI. Orig.]

In its present state this Letter has neither the writer's signature, nor a superscription; but both are ascertained from a passage in Lord Herbert's History of Henry the VIIIth, in which a single line of it is transcribed, and from the word WIATT, with which it opens.

Lord Herbert says, "The particular offences yet of these great persons are not so fully made known to me that I can say much. Only I find among our Records that Thomas Wriothesley, Secretary, (then at Brussels,) writing of their apprehension to Sir Thomas Wyat (his Highness ambassador in Spain) said, that the Accusations were great, and duly proved."

This Letter certainly gives us an insight into the real cause for beheading the Poles: "the surety of my LORD PRINCE, our only Jewel after his Majesty.”

The committal of these Lords has been slightly mentioned in a Letter to the Lord Fitzwalter in the former Series. a From the present Letter it appears that their domestics were their accusers. His Majesty determined 66 on committing them to ward, that all inconvenience might be ensued:" and he loved them so well that he was loth to proceed against them: but WITHIN TEN DAYS they were beheaded.

Vol. ii. p. 96. Letter cxxxv.

WIATT.

AFTER my most herty commendacons, getting knowlege of this Postes departure but ever nowe and the same going in suche hast that I could not have any lenger tyme to wryte but as he stode by me, I must be shorte against my will, and shall by thise onely advertyse you that on Monday in the evenyng, which was the iiijth, of this moneth, the Marques of Excestre and the Lorde Montague were commytted to the Towre of London; being the Kinges Majestie soo grevously touched by them, that, albeit, His Grace hath uppon his special favor borne towards them, passed over many accusations made against the same of late by their oune domestiques, thinking assuredly with his clemencye to conquerre their cancerdnes, as Cesar at the last wanne and overcam Cynna. Yet His Grace was constrayned for avoyding of such malice as was prepensed bothe against his personne royal and the surety of my Lorde Prince, our only Juel after his Majesty, to use the remedy of committing them to ward, that all inconvenience may thereby be ensued. Th'accusacions made against them be of great importaunce and duely proved by substancial wytnes. And yet the Kings Majestie loveth them sowell, and of his greate goodnes is soo lothe to procede against them that though their oune famylies in maner abhorr their facts it ys doubted what his Highnes woll doo towards them.

I write this unto You bicause you may peraventur here sumwhat hereof, and the thing percase sinisterly interpreted. Nowe that you knowe the truth you may declare the same upon my poor woord, and so yow may make aunswer accordingly. Thus I must byd you most hertely wel to ffar for lak of ferther leiser. From Bruxells the xiijth. of Novembre at night late.

LETTER CXXX.

Lord Southampton and the Bishop of Ely to Lord Cromwell, upon the Seizure of the Countess of Salisbury.

[FRAGM. IN THE COTTONIAN LIBR. CALIG. D. XI. Orig.]

Warblington near Havant in Hampshire, whence this Letter is dated, was the Countess of Salisbury's residence. Some small ruins of her mansion are still remaining. It was originally a square pile of about two hundred feet surrounding a quadrangle, moated; and had been the seat of the Montacutes.

Cowdray Park whence the next Letter is dated, is near Midhurst in Sussex. It had been granted to Sir William Fitzwilliam, afterwards Earl of Southampton, the writer of this and the succeeding Letter, in 1533; and he built the Mansion there which was afterwards completed upon a grander scale by Sir Anthony Brown.

Lord Herbert is wrong in conjecturing Cowdray to have been the residence of Lady Salisbury. The Earl of Southampton carried her to his own house, as the first stage of her journey, should it be the King's pleasure to commit her to the Tower of London.

PLEASE it your good Lordshippe to bee advertised that as by our oodre Lettres wee signified to the same