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the daughter of Lord Fitz-Hugh, though Dugdale attributes no other wife to him than Maud, the cousin and heiress of Ralph Lord Cromwell. In the pedigree of Fitz-Hugh, however, that eminent genealogist says, that Lord Fitz-Hugh had a daughter "Joan, wife of Sir Robert Willoughby," a statement which this letter proves to be correct. The indefinite meaning which was formerly attached to the words "father," mother,' brother," &c. renders it necessary to observe, that William, the son and heir of Henry Lord Fitz-Hugh, is said to have married Margery, the sis'er of this Lord Willoughby; but independent of the improbability that this connexion should induce him to style Lord FitzHugh "his most honoured father," it must be remembered, that, in 1411, the said William was only about fourteen years old; a fact which, though it does not absolutely negative the possibility of his being then married, makes it extremely unlikely. William Lord Willoughby, the father of the writer of this letter, had two wives; first, Lucy, daughter of Roger Lord Strange, and secondly, Joan, sister and coheiress of Edmund Holland, Earl of Kent, and widow of Edward Plantagenet, Duke of York, but by her he had no issue, and died on the 4th December, 1409. The duchess, his widow, re-married in the 12th Henry IV. 1410-11, Henry Lord Scrope of Masham, who was appointed Lord Treasurer

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in the 11th Henry IV., from which dates the year in which this letter was written has been fixed; since he is described in it as "Treasurer of England," and it is manifest that he was not then married, though he was to be so "in all haste."

Robert Lord Willoughby, who thus complains that his property was withheld from him, became one of the most distinguished warriors of his time; and is said by Sir William Dugdale to have served at Harfleur, Agincourt, the siege of Rouen, Vinoil, Mouns, and other battles in France, in the reigns of Henry the Fifth and Sixth. He died on the festival of St. James, 30th Henry VI. 25th July, 1452, leaving by Maud, the cousin and co-heiress of Ralph Lord Cromwell, and who must have been his second wife, (his first, the daughter of Lord Fitz-Hugh, having died, probably without issue, before 1425,) Joan, the wife of Sir Richard Welles, his daughter and heiress, then twenty-seven years old.

The original of this letter is preserved in the Bodleian Library; it is written on a piece of paper 112 inches by 52, and the space occupied by the writing is 10 inches by 1, with the exception of the signature; and was sealed with red wax in the form of a cross, which extends from 3 to 32 inches.

[MS. Dodsworth, 118, f. 53, Original.]

"A Honnure Set moun tressoun'aignement bien ame Pier' Henry Fitz Hugh' Seigneur de Ravenswath.'

"Honure S'. et tressoun'aignement bien ame Pier. Je me comank a vous en taunt com Je say ou plus puisse. Desiraunt toutduz a oier et savoir bones novelx de vous et de v're honurable estat quels ieo prie adieux q' toutz iours sibones soient come vous mesmez sauetz mieulx deviser ou sohaider et come Je vorroie sentier de moy mesmes. Et vous please de savoir honure S'. q' iay p'sue a ma treshonuree dame et mier' la duchesse Dev'wyk p' c'tainez chosez q'a moy deussent descender p' voie del heritage et unqore

ie

nay null' deliv'rance decelts et cett cause moy fate destre absente de vous si longement. Vous enprie q' ne soiez displeasez dautre p't ma d'ce t's honuree dame soy p'pose destre mariez ove le Sire de Scrope Tresorer dengleterre en tout le hast si come jeo suy enfo'mez et p'. tant qele ferroit carier lez biens avu'ntdiz hoes du pays tanq'ils furent deliv'ez Jeo suy demo'antz et exspectantz en la pays Et touchant lez novel' n're Sle y sey p'pose daler vers voz parties si come Jeo suy enfourme. Honure S'. si rien soit q'ieo p'ra faire moy voillez c'tifier et ieo lez p'fo'nera de treslee coer a tout mun poair. Autres ne say a vous escrier mes ie prie a n're

Sr. tout puissant vous eit en sa t'sentisme garde et vous ottroie tresbone vie et long' a endure. Escr' a Eresby le Marsdy ap's le fes del nativite n're Dame.

"Tout le vre' fitz Rob't de
Wylughby S de Eresby.

[TRANSLATION.]

"To my honoured Lord and most entirely beloved Father, Henry Fitz Hugh, Lord of Ravenswath.

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Honoured Lord and right entirely well-beloved Father, I commend me unto you as much as I know how or most can, desiring always to know and hear good news of yourself, and of your honourable estate, which I pray to God may always be as good as you yourself can best devise or wish, and as I should desire to feel myself. And may it please you to know, honoured Lord, that I am claiming from my most honoured lady and mother, the Duchess of York, certain things which ought to have descended to me by right of inheritance, and which have not yet been delivered to me; and this has caused me to be absent so long from you. I entreat that you will not be displeased. On the other hand, my said most honoured lady intends to be married with the Sire de Scrope, Treasurer of England, in all haste, as I am informed; and for as much as she would cause the before-men

tioned goods to be conveyed out of the country, until they be delivered I am remaining and waiting in the country. And respecting news, our Lord proposes to proceed toward your parts, as I am informed. Most honoured Lord, if there be any thing that I can do, be pleased to mention it to me, and I will perform it with a willing heart to the best of my power. Other matters I have not to write to you upon; but I pray our Lord all powerful to have you in his most holy keeping, and grant you happy life, and long to continue.

"Written at Eresby, the Tuesday after the Feast of the Nativity of our Lady.

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The next letter, though short, discloses one or two facts connected with a subject of neverfading interest-the death of Mary Queen of Scots. The writer was John Wolley, the clerk of the council; and, as the superscription states, it was addressed to the Earl of Leicester. readers do not require to be informed, that Queen Elizabeth's conduct with respect to the execution of Mary was a mixture of unrelenting cruelty, despicable cowardice, and flagitious hypocrisy ; that whilst it was the dearest wish of her heart to deprive her kinswoman of her existence,

attempted to remove the odium of the act

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