XII. After this, followeth a confutation of Mirfin's informa- CHAP. tions. And a great deal of it himself confessed. And all that concerning the Londoners [Webb, Clitherow, Draper, Anno 1582. &c.] were but imaginations, and false, upon vain suspicions, drinking of wine and blood; and the subscribing paper with wine and blood he confessed to be false. The papers were all of his own handwriting; and he acknowledged he forged them; as the hands of sir George Hastings, &c. The red ink, which he called wine and blood, wherewith the papers were signed, was found in a glass in his chamber, and confessed by his servant that he bought it lately: in short, he was found a most notorious villain, a notable forger, and a 144 most wicked rogue. This business came before the council, and he was examined by certain persons by their order. And they charged him with treason. And Draper's wife was found a virtuous and good woman. Embden queen. His surer. What passages of remark I meet with concerning that great and wise statesman, the lord Burghley, I frequently enter, to preserve his memory to grateful posterity. Among which a letter may deserve a remembrance here, sent to him from a German prince, viz. the earl of Embden; to shew The earl of both the honour he had with foreign princes of the religion, ready to but chiefly, what favour and regard his royal mistress had with serve the them abroad. This German had sent his agent, and professed letter to all readiness to serve her majesty, and still desired she might be assured thereof. He also communicated the great and happy endeavour of a reformation of religion in another part of Germany, namely, that of Colein, by Herman, the good elector and archbishop thereof: besides some more private matters contained in that count's letters. In his answer he wrote, "That he was but newly recovered of his chronical The lord distemper, the gout, which he called his familiar disease, "when those honourable letters were delivered him: and "that they came seasonable to him, and administered re"freshment, by so illustrious a hero's remembrance of him, "to restore his diminished strength." He proceeded, "That they had various reports of what had been done by the 66 treasurer's answer. BOOK I. 66 66 "archbishop of Colein. That nothing had been attempted many years past, more to increase the strength of the Anno 1582. "gospel in Germany, than that notion of the archbishop, if "it succeeded well. And he hoped the Christian religion, professed by that protestant elector of the empire, and “other princes, would very much prevail against the Ro"man antichrist throughout all Germany. And whereas "he desired him [the lord treasurer] should recommend his "pains and service to the queen, he said, he would do what "his excellency required. But that there was no need to re"commend that to her, since she was fully persuaded, that "his service was always ready, whensoever occasion requir"ed.” In the same letter he took notice of two more private matters. The one was concerning a pair of fine horses the count had presented him; and the other of a great sum of dollars, that Stafford, when he was the queen's ambassador in those parts, had borrowed of him; and not yet paid back. Mr. Went To this worthy lord happened this year a loss, which afflictworth, the ed him much; namely, the death of his son-in-law, William surer's son- Wentworth, eldest son of the lord of that name, a person of lord trea in-law, dies. great virtue who had but the year before married his daughter Elizabeth. And the surprise of it aggravated his grief. For coming home from the city (where the plague now was) to Tybald's, his country seat, found him newly dead there. He was to have met with the queen at Hartford; but his son-in-law being dead, he sent to the secretary Walsingham to excuse him to the queen. Walsingham en145 closeth his lordship's letter in one of his own, to the vicechamberlain, sir Christopher Hatton, to the end he might acquaint the queen with the reason of the treasurer's ab Secretary Walsing. lord upon sence. The secretary, by way of condole, addressed a letter to ham to that his lordship; where speaking of the queen, wrote, “That "she had as just cause to be grieved, for the public, as his sion. "lordship for his part." He added, " that the taking away "a man of his virtue and hope, in this corrupted age, was this occa 66 "an argument of God's displeasure towards us:" conclud- CHAP. ing with this prayer," The Lord give us grace to make XII. "our own profit thereof; and send your lordship patience Anno 1582. 66 to bear this cross laid upon you in that Christian course "that becometh you." condoles The queen also sent Mr. Mannours, the earl of Rutland's The queen son, to the lord treasurer, under great sorrow, to comfort with him. him from herself: and a letter also with him from the vicechamberlain, importing as much. Letters also of condolence were sent him from divers others of the nobility on this sad providence; as the lord chamberlain, earl of Sussex, and the earl of Leicester. chamber Hatton the vice-chamberlain's letter signified not only the queen's concern for him, but he likewise expressed therein his own great sorrow; and endeavoured by pious arguments to mitigate that lord's trouble. The letter deserveth to be inserted. Which was as follows: "My singular good lord, The vice"her majesty standeth so much moved with your sorrowful lain's letter "letters, as she findeth herself much more fit to accompany to him. you in your griefs, than to comfort you in this your irre"coverable loss. Your lordship, so well and holily instruct"ed in God's fear, and so well exercised with the mutable "accidents of this wretched world, will call reason to your "relief, with thankfulness, that God, the creator of us all, "hath called this his virtuous and zealous creature to the participation of his heavenly inheritance. We should "lack of duty towards our Redeemer in resisting this his "will, and shew a kind of envy in lamenting this his glorious exchange, out of a frail and sinful life, to an everlasting mansion and heaven of joys. 66 My very good lord, cast off this woe, let it not touch your heart, in which the wisdom of this our world and "state hath found him sent for many years, to God's glory, "the realm's safety, and your immortal renown. Her ma "jesty sendeth your good, noble friend, my lord Mannours, to you; who will more largely impart her pleasure unto "you. And so with my humble prayers to God for your BOOK "long life and comfortable being, I most humbly take my leave, in haste, this 8th of November, 1582. "Your good lordship's I. Anno 1582. Lord Went worth to the lord upon the said loss. 66 146" 66 "Most bounden poor friend, "Chr. Hatton." The grief on his father the lord Wentworth's side produced this letter to the lord treasurer; "Praying his lordtreasurer ship to bear with him, that he had not written to him be"fore. That the loss, common to them both, was such as "would have staid a wiser man than he was. And that although many crosses had fallen upon him, yet none so "great as this. But he thanked his God, that he had made "the burden somewhat the lighter, that he had left his 66 daughter with child. Whom if it pleased God to bless "them, as his prayer was, they both should have some "comfort after this sorrow. Praying his good lordship to "continue that good-will and favour towards him that he "would have done, if his son had lived, until he had de"served the contrary. And leaving his lordship, he had "sent that bearer to declare unto him his opinion, as con"cerning the will, and other things. Whom he beseeched "his lordship favourably to hear; and look, what his lordship should do in these matters, he should willingly agree "to." This letter was dated from Mile End, the 10th of November. Lord trea surer's daughter, worth, dies. But what became of this great belly, we may soon conclude from the death of the widow, the relict of the said relict of Mr. Mr. Wentworth : she died within five months after him, viz. Went- in April, 1583, repeating a fresh grief to the lord treasurer, which caused his close retirement. As the queen could not want his advice, so she sent again a gracious message of condolement to him; and withal required his presence by her secretary, Walsingham, to divert him from his sorrow: The queen's to this import; "That as she was pleased for a time to permessage to mit him to wrestle with nature; not doubting, but that "wisdom and religion had wrought in him, ere this, that re him. 66 And par XII. "solution that appertained to a man of his place and call- CHAP. "ing; so now she thought, that if the health of his body "might so permit, he should do better to occupy himself in Anno 1582. dealing in public causes, than by secluding himself from access, to give himself over a prey unto grief. ticularly, that she would be glad of his advice in a matter " of weight, concerning an offer lately made unto her by the "Scots queen, sent to court from the earl of Shrewsbury, "[who was her keeper."] CHAP. XIII. Blank, lord mayor of London, presented to the queen. The recorder's speech to her. Increase of buildings in the city: the inconvenience thereof. Mr. Rich in the Fleet: his crime: sues for his liberty: his protestation: his letter from Leigh, to the lord treasurer's secretary. John Stubbs, (whose right hand had been cut off,) his letters of good counsel. Fleetwood, recorder of London. Controversy in Christ's college, Cambridge, about a fellowship of king Edward's foundation. A dispensation for a fellowship in Peter-house, complained of. Books published this year. The Elementary. Eipnvapxía, sive Elizabetha: appointed to be read in schools. The Holy Bible: printed in quarto, with a Catechism about Predestination. Golden Epistles. BUT to gather up a few more historical notices; which may inform us of particular persons. 147 mayor, pre Blank, elected lord mayor of the city of London, was on Blank, the the 6th of May, being Sunday, presented before the queen, sented to then being at Richmond. How it came to pass that the the queen. mayor was not presented before, (since the common time of presenting the new mayor at Westminster is about the festival of St. Simon and Jude,) I know not upon what occasion. The queen graciously accepted of him. And the lord chamberlain made him knight: and he kissed her majesty's |