CP 152/31 1558/9 Feb 20: Letter Lord Paget to Sir Thomas Parry & Cecil
Cecil Papers Volume 152 Folio 31 HMC Volume 1 Page 151 Number 568 Haynes Page 208 Number 185
[Transcribed by Samuel Haynes]
20 Feb 1558 Lord Paget to Sir Thomas Parry and Sir William Cecill
BYCAUSE I knowe you two to be faythfull Counsaillors to the Quene's Majestie, and that I, lying lyke a Best here, am not able to cum to the Court without dawnger of my Helth; therfor I thought good, for Declaracion of my Dewty to her Majestie, to put you in remembrance of Things that you haue knowen in our Dayes. The Necessite of Frendship with the House of Burgundy, which in these latter Dayes hath bene, and is abler to stand us in stede, then they wer in King Edward the Fourth, and Henry the Seventh's Dayes. The naturall Enymyte betwene us and Fraunce, and theyr gretter Power and Abylyte to seke and poursew theyr Revenge, then heretofore they haue had: And as for theyr disposicion, Mr. Wootten, and Mr. Shelley can tell youe of their Promise toching Bulleyn; and the lyke is well knowen toching the Surpryse of Calais, when we wer in Peas with them at both tymes; and yet we belyve theyr Words still as the Gospel. The Frenche grow every Day more and more patientes laboris, vigiliarum, inediæ, sitis, &c. and we grow socordes & ignavi, &c. The Burgonyons thowgh they be mygty, yet they be cold and flegmatyke, and slow in theyr doyngs; but yet they do ther things though it be long. The French do all theyr thyngs with great Celeryte and Diligence. If the Frenche shuld invade us by See, or by Scotland, the King of Spayne wold also enter as our Frend or our Foe. If we take Part with nether of them, they will fasten theyr Fete both of them here, and make a Pyemont of us: If we take Part with the one, we our selfs shalbe afterwards made a Preye by the Victor. God save us from the Sworde, for we have bene plaged of late with Famyne and Pestilence. For Godd's Sake move that good Quene to put her Sword in to her Hand. She shall the better make her Bargayne with her dowtfull Frends and Enemyes. Move her to cause those Things, that she will haue done by Parliament, to be shortly done; and to provide for the rest. And move her Majestie to use that goodly Wytt, that goodly Knowledge, and that gret and special Grace of Understanding and Judgement of Things that God hath gyven her, and so I beleve she shall quærere regnum Dei, and maynten her own Regnum also. If I haue bene tedious to you in wryting thus folishly, I pray you make the best of it, and thynk it is of a Zeal to the Quene's Majestie and to my Countrey, and to my self also. And thus cessing to wery my lame Hand, God send you as well to do as I wold my self. From my House, this 20th Day of February at Nyght, 1558. Your very Frend, William Paget.
To the Right Honorable Sir Thomas Parry Knight, Treasorer of the Quenis Majesties Houshould, and Sir William Cecill, Knight, her Highnes chief Secretary.
