CP 152, 52

CP Volume 152 Folio 52-55

HMC Volume 1 Page 183 Number 622

Haynes Page 248 Number 229

Transcribed by Samuel Haynes in “A Collection of State Papers . . . 1542 to 1570” London, 1740

20 Feb 1559 Letter from the Counsayle to the Duke of Norfolk, &c.

From a Minute of Secretary Cecill.

AFTER our harty Commendations to your good Lordship. We have perused and seene your Lettres of the 15th of this Month, conteyning therin a Lettre of Sir James Croffts to you, the Duke of Norfolk, for Answer of a former Lettre; and certain Articles sent to you concerning your Difference of Opinions, for the Fortification of the Port of Barwick next the Sea. And having imparted the Contents therof to the Queen's Majestie, who doth not disallow the circumspect Answer of Mr. Crofts, althoughe we for our Parte wold have bene glad to haue understanded som particuler Matter for the Answer of the said Articles; neuertheless it is determined that Sir Ric. Lee, as soone as he may com from Portesmouth, to which Place he must be sent this next Weeke, shall com doon to Berwik, accompanied with som other Man of Skill: And truly ther is none of us all that wold spare our coming thither, yf therin we might doo any Service. But for as muche as you, the Lord Grey, and divers others expert Men of Warr be there, which can as well judge of suche a Matter, as any remayning in these South Partes, it is thought sufficient, that, at the comming of Sir Richard Lee, the same may be consydred by suche there, as you the Duke of Norfolk shall think convenient for to determyne so great a Matter; and in the meane Season to kepe the Question secret, and to cause the Workmen there to proceede with other Works, began ther and not fynished. As to another Lettre of the 16th to us also directed for aunswer of ours of the 12th, we perceave the calling Bartram Anderson unto your Lordship in the Absence of Gessrey Vaughan. You fynde the Merchant Ships, which haue bene stayed there of long Tyme, to be unfurnished of Ordinance, Victels and Mariners, in such sorte as you see not how the same may be ready to serue your turne. Herunto for som Answer, yt shall appear by a Lettre of Gessrey Vaughan's dated the 10th of February, directed to me the Admiral, that he certified the Cace to be otherwise, like as we hoped it had ben. And for some remedy therof, we think best, that, where there weare twelve stayed for Service, that at the least six of them, and the rest also consequently might be furnished and sett to the Seas; using this order, that as any one of them shall be ready, the same may be set fourth, and not to tarye, but the rest to followe presently. Also there be partly depeched hence, and partly shall be, four or five Shipps well armed and equipped, which shall countrevaile the Value of ten or twelve of those Merchant Shipps. And in this Parte we cannot forbeare but to advertise your Lordship, that the Marquis Delbeuff maketh all the hast he can, hauing hitherto but ten or twelve Shippes redy. And therfore we think mete that William Winter be warned to stand uppon his gard; and to leye in good awayte with one Barke uppon the Cost of Lovthian, and another uppon Fisse Side, and that your Lordship also helpe, that his Shipps might be releved, and furnished with Anchers and Hagbutiers; and though all maye not, yet that six or seven of the Principall be strengthened, to mete with any euill event. For the Answer of certain Points conteyned in another Lettre of the 15th to me the Secretary, your Lordship shall understand, where you fynde lacke of Answer in Letters of the 11th for your Proceding in conference with the Lords of Scotland, true it is that her Majestie the very same 15th Daye, addressed her Lettres to your good Lordship with sufficient Declaration of her Pleasure, as well in that behalfe, as in diuers other Points. And wher ye make mention of lacke of Horses, for Cariage of grete Ordenance, to be suche, as ye doo require a Prouision of three hundred to be sent out of these South Sheres with Horse Harnesse and Draught Geare meete for the same, we assure your Lordshipe it hathe somwhat perplexed us to see that so necessary a Matter shuld be now to prouide; and although we think that nothing hathe bene of your Parte neglected in the Forsight and Prouision therof, yet can we not forbeare but impart our Opinions therin, and in the End doo what we can to remedy the Lack. Fyrst, som of us think, that the Nombre, allotted to the Draught of your Ordenance, exceedeth the common Use, for as muche as a Connon is commonly drawn with thirty Horses, wherunto you assigne fixty; and likewise a Demi-Cannon is drawn with twenty, wherunto you assigne thirty, and so in the rest: But as the usuall Nombre may be indeede to little, consydering the tyme of the Yere, and the Foulness of the Wayes; so seemeth the other to large, considering the haste which is required, and the Difficulte to prouide them. Wee also thought you wolde, as once was written from thence, devise to carry your Ordenance by Sea, and land it five or six Miles on this syde Leethe, and therby haue sparid som Nombers of Horses; taking also the Help of som Oxen of your Frends in Scotland: But that Matter we must refer to the Tyme of your Consultation with the Lords of Scotland; thinking surely that yf the same might so fall out, as ye might see Cause to allow it, that wolde much furder your Journey. As for the Provision hence, we think it bothe difficult, and likely to breede delay and losse of Tyme; for that we see not how possibly such a Number can be sodenly prouided and sent thither before the Tyme that ye shuld commence the Exploit, yf any at all shuld be done. Neuertheless we haue moued her Majestie to be at the Charge herof, and to bye the Nomber of two hundred, or fifty more, if they may be within the Counties of Leicester, Lincolne, Huntingdon, and Cambridge; wherin will be much Travell and Expence of Tyme; but we must preser Surety before all other Respects. There be some of us also that think this Nombre might haue bene made out of Yorkshire, and other Sheirs beyond Trent upon sufficient warning. Indeede nothing greueth us more, then to think that Tyme shall rune awaye to our lack, the Queene's Majestie's grete Charges, and the Commoditie of the Adversary. As for Horseharnes, and Draughtgeare, we be sure that the same was not forgotten, but was sent in December laste; and, as we be certified by the Officers of the Ordenance, here is all arrived in the North Parte, sauing a small Nomber left at Lestoc by miscarrieng of a Vessell; and yet we trust the same either is, or very shortly will arrive there; and though it shuld not, they doo Advertise us that Bennett can furnish the Nomber of five hundred. Abbington is upon his Depeche; and of the State and Masse of Victles there, ye shall receave a Brefe therof, which we trust shall content you. As for the Tressor, your Lordship shall shortly here of a Reenforcement. And in the Mention herof, we be occasioned to remember unto you, how necessary it is, that this Army thus leuied, remayne not long without som Frute; and that Ordre be taken, that the Queene's Majestie's Victels and Armure be duely paid for; in which Parte Sir George Haward must be admonished, and ordered, that the Mony therof arrising be so preserved and accompted upon, as it be forthwith from Tyme to Tyme delyuered by it selfe to the Treasorer, upon Direction of your Lordship, being Lieutenant, for the Satisfaction of the Quene's Majestie's Charge there; and reporte made hither, what Mony groweth toward her Majestie therby; which Order also we pray your good Lordship may be kept with the Officers there of the Ordenance. We here it reported, that besyds the Bande of a hundred Horsmen allowed to your Lordship, and the like to the Lord Graye, and six hundred Lances also, there shuld be one hundred Lances more in Charge, and six hundred light Horsmen also presently all in Wages; which we think either not to be so, or else that there is som greter Cause that hathe moued the same then is to us knowen. For at your departure hence our Opinions was, that six hundred Lances and Pistolets shuld haue bene the full Charge of the Horsmen; and that there shuld not haue bene any more Horsmen in paye, but the Lord Gray's Band to haue bene Parte of the same; and at the Tyme of the Exploit such light Horsmen, as shuld haue bene needfull, might haue bene leuied in Northumberland and the Bishoprik, without any Charge to her Majestie: And surely we think no otherwise at this present then we did before, but rather be more confermed therin; prayeng your good Lordship to use your Authorite and Direction herin, as shall seem meete and necessary: And for our Satifaction, we covet to be advertised, what be the very ordinary Charges at this present; praying your Lordship that we may be certified of the particuler Charges, how the same ended in January laste, and how they shall end the last of this Moneth; and if Increase shall growe the nexte, that we may understand the same also, to the end furder Consideration may be had of so weighty a Matter. And thus your Grace seeth, that we haue at some lenghte opened our Mynds unto yow, and so end, wishing to the same a Contynuance of Honor and Felicite. From Westminster the 20th of Feb. 1559. Your Lordship's assured loving Frends, &c