CHAP. order and place, as the Earl of Shrewsbury for the time LIV. should appoint.

more to

with Scotland.

Westmer

Earl of

Shrews

bury, Ex

Salop.

423

66

Anno 1557. In the beginning of July, things in Scotland looked all Things look towards war with England, (which had indeed very lately wards war openly proclaimed war with France.) Notwithstanding, in the mean time commissioners on both sides had been pretending fairly to accommodate differences and irruptions The Earl of upon each other: insomuch that July the 9th, the Earl land to the of Westmerland being then at Carlile, one of the commissioners wrote to the Lord President in these words: "These may advertise your Lordship, that before this day Epist. Com. I was never so far past all hope for peace, and looked so "certainly for present war. For the demeanour of Scot"land, as well in their preparing for war, as in the heinous "attentates and grievous injuries committed daily upon "the subjects of this realm, and especially upon the east ❝ and middle marches, since our coming to Carlile, is so apparently repugnant to the talk and communications of "the commissioners of the said realm, that I can no other "do, but verily believe that they mind no truth, but to "delay and trifle the time with us, until they be prepared " and ready, if they may, upon a sudden to work some dis"pleasure unto this realm; as by such intelligences as we "have received this day from the Lord Dacre, and also 66 by the Lord Wharton's letter, with two attentates com"mitted by the Scots upon the sixth and seventh of this "month, ye may more at large understand. I have thought "meet to give your Lordship knowledge hereof, to the in"tent ye may make more haste in sending the 600 horse"men, which your Lordship is, by the King's and Queen's Majesties' letters, appointed to send to the borders for the "better furniture of the same. For I would wish we were nothing behind with them, but as ready to withstand "their malice, as I believe, for all their fair speech, they "are to attempt some enterprise against us."

Horse and archers ap

66

66

Of which also the Court was so sensible, that letters came, pointed to not far from the beginning of July, to the Lord President from the King and Queen, and Council, to prepare 600

be ready

against a

day.

LIV.

horsemen and 400 archers, to be in a readiness against the CHAP. first day of August; and also to put the whole force of the north riding of Yorkshire in such perfect readiness, as the Anno 1557, same might encounter any mean force of the enemy that should invade the frontiers with any army.

peace.

Yet so cunningly did the Scots commissioners even at this The Scots time, and in the midst of those injurious acts, carry them- pretend selves, that the Earl of Westmerland, however persuaded he was before of the Scots' hostile intentions, yet now, the conference being at an end, about the middle of July, he conceived quite other thoughts of them. For so he wrote in a second letter to the Earl of Shrewsbury; "I trust we "shall have no present need thereof, [that is, of an army to "be put in readiness.] For in the end of our conference "with the commissioners of Scotland, they seem very de"sirous of peace, and rather to covet the same than war. "So that I believe we shall part very friendly upon Thurs"day next. For yesterday [that is, July 13th] we agreed "upon this good point, that if their instructions and ours, "which we look to have from both the princes, as their answers and pleasures to our resolutions, agree not; yet "we shall depart in peace as we came hither; making pro"clamation through all the marches of both realms, for the "continuation of the peace for two months; and then to "meet again upon the east borders. And in the mean time "the princes' pleasure to be known; and the wardens to be "charged to take certain care of the great riders of either "side, to remain with them, for the better stay and con❝tinuance of the peace."

66

The Queen, in distress for money, makes use of a loan. She raises an extraordinary guard. The Scots' assaults. The English worst them.

AMIDST these offensive and defensive wars with France The Queen

borrows

and Scotland, that the Queen had pulled upon her head, money.

CHAP. besides the fears and conspiracies at home, she was pressed LV. with want of money; which forced her, towards the latter Anno 1557. end of July, to send her letters throughout the nation for a

The Queen

to Sir John Porte, to

loan, to enable her to put herself in a posture of defence, and to resist and quell her enemies, whether her disobedient subjects, or others. To Sir John Porte, in Derbyshire, she sent command to borrow of eight gentlemen in that county an 1007. apiece, to be repaid at the feast of All Saints next ensuing, or one month after. And the said Sir John to pay it into her comptroller, Sir Robert Rochester. These eight gentlemen were, Sir George Vernam, Sir Peter Fretchvyle, Sir William Candysh, Thomas Babyngton, esq. Sir Henry Sacheveril, Richard Blackwall, esq. Sir George Pierpont, George Sowche, esq. To all whom she addressed her privy seals.

To her said receiver for Derbyshire she wrote her letter as followeth, whereby may appear the reasons that urged her to this course:

"Mary the Queen.

"Trusty and wellbeloved, we greet you well:

"And where we be presently occasioned, for the better "defence of our realm, and meeting with such practices as receive the "have been and are daily attempted by certain our un"natural subjects, to defray greater sums of money than we can at this time of ourselves without our great hin"derance well furnish; like as we have for our relief herein

loan in

Derbyshire. Epist. Comit. Salop.

66

appointed to take, by way of loan, the sum of an 1007. of "each of the persons whose names be contained in a sche"dule here inclosed, and have for that purpose addressed "our letters of privy seal unto them; so, for the readiness "and good-will which we have always found in you to serve us, we have appointed you to receive the said money, and "have willed the same persons to pay the same unto your "hands, and to take your bill for the receipt thereof; "which, together with our said letters of privy seal, shall "be unto them a sufficient warrant for the repayment of

"the said sum unto them at such days as we have by our CHAP. "letters foresaid appointed.

LV.

"We therefore require you to use all the diligence you Anno 1557. "may in the receipt of the said monies; which when you "shall have gathered together, we require you to cause to "be safely conveyed to the hand of our trusty and right "wellbeloved counsellor, Sir Robert Rochester, knt. comp"troller of our household; who shall not only give you "allowance of the charges, which you shall have been at for 425 "the receipt thereof, but allow you a sufficient acquittance "and discharge for the same. Given under our signet at "our manor of Eltham, the last day of July, in the third " and fourth year of our reign."

fuse.

The foresaid gentlemen, by appointment, met with Sir Some reJohn Porte at Darby, except three, viz. Sir George Vernon, Sir William Candysh, and George Zowch. Nor did they come, when they were appointed a second meeting; nor yet did they send: which was a certain sign they had no mind to lend. Whereat Porte sent to the Earl of Shrewsbury for his advice.

the raising

ham.

Preparations for defence against Scotland are now more Orders for and more hastening. The Lord Wharton, July 26, sent to the bishopthe Bishop of Durham and the Earl of Westmerland, im- ric of Durporting a command given to the Lord President; by virtue of which, the said Lord Wharton required to have the power of the bishopric, with fifteen days' victuals, to be placed upon the frontiers, until other powers should be sent. And since this, the said Lord President sent to the Bishop, to put the whole force of the bishopric in a full and perfect readiness to repair to the borders for defence and safety thereof, as they should be commanded. Accordingly the Bishop caused proclamation to be made, that all men should be in a readiness for defence of the borders, whensoever they should be called, either by burning of beacons, proclamations, or any other ways, whensoever the enemy did invade the realm with a power. And further, he consulted with the chief of the shire, and shewed them both their lordships'

LV.

CHAP. letters; who, well knowing the ancient customs of the country, answered, "That they were not bound, nor had been Anno 1557. ❝ accustomed to lie in garrison, tarrying for the enemies "coming, when they should invade. But whensoever the

The Bishop refuses to

go till an actual in

vasion.

power of the enemy did invade, then, upon warning given "thereof, they would be ready in their most defensible "array, according to their most bounden duties." The result was, that the Bishop certified them, that upon their lordships' advertisement, whensoever any invasion should be made, he would warn all the country to set forwards to the borders with all speed possible. This he writ from Aukland, July the 29th.

This answer gave some disturbance for the present: for though the Earls of Northumberland and Westmerland had sent to the Bishop to the same import that the Lord Wharton had done, yet he gave them the same answer, viz. that the country denied to lie in garrison, to tarry the coming of the enemy; but whensoever the enemy did or should invade, they would, upon warning, be ready to go to repulse him of their own cost: and accordingly the Bishop said, he should look for warning to set forward shortly. Of this the Earl of Westmerland, by a letter dated July 31, from his manor of Kirkby Morshed, informed the Earl of Shrewsbury, and inclosed the Bishop's letter to the Lord Wharton in his own: certifying the said Earl, that in truth the inhabitants of the bishopric were bound to serve for eight days, whether the realm were invaded or not. He wrote also to the Bishop, advising him forthwith to see the men of the bishoprie to the borders, according to the War426 den's commandment, for divers causes. What became of this dispute, so unseasonable at this time, we find hereafter; for the men of the bishopric came not till the day after the engagement with the Scots, who had invaded.

The Queen

extraordi

So that the nation was now all in war, France before, and provides an Scotland behind. That of France, the Queen had drawn nary guard. herself into out of complaisance to her husband. And in July, King Philip, having engaged the realm to break with France, and to assist him in his wars against that crown,