WARD's, and afterwards your lovinge and learned brothers M Cheekes; and, synce, hys who thinkith him self in many respectes most bounden unto youe, whois prayer ye shall ever have, whois service ye may ever use: as knowith the Almightie, who grant youe many happie yeares with much increase in the knowledge of Christ, unto whois mercifull governance I commend youe. From my howse att Hartilbury this 28th of December 1563.

Yours in Christe most bounde

To the right honorable Sir

Willm Cecill knight, principall

Secretarie unto the Quenes Matie

give this.

ED: WIGORN.

LETTER CLXXXII.

Henry Lord Berkeley to the Earl of Sussex.

[MS. COTTON. TITUS B. II. fol. 349. Orig.]

Henry Lord Berkeley, the writer of this Letter, came to his title in 1534; having been born nine weeks and four days after the death of his father. His sister, alluded to in it, was Elizabeth the wife of Thomas Boteler Earl of Ormond. Thomas Radcliffe Earl of Sussex, to whom it is addressed, was the Lord Deputy of Ireland.

RIGHT honorable and my very good Lorde, whereas I am informed by suche as of late are come owte of

Irelande that my Ladye Woormonde my sister is not so well used by my Lorde her husbande as I would wishe her to be: and nature movinge me to learne further of the truthe herein, I am so bolde at this presente (hearinge of your Lordshipps late arrivall owt of those partes) to desire your Lordship that yt maye please you by your Lettres to signifye unto me whether you understande there be anye suche mislikinge betwene them or not, and the causes thereof, to the ende I maye travell therein accordinglie. Trustinge also that yf she be not well dealte withall and used as she ought to be, that then your Lordshippe will make reaporte of the same to suche of the Councell as maye healpe to redresse the matter, and my suite to be made for her the better furthered. And in so doinge I must neades acknowledge myselfe bothe very moche beholden unto your good Lordshippe, and She also, for her parte, moste bounden contynuallye to pray to the Almightie for the preservation of your Lordship with the encreace of muche honoure. From my Castell of Berkeley, the xxvjth of Maye, 1564.

Your Lordshipps assured

HENRY BERKELEY.

To the Right honorable and

my very good Lorde the
Earle of Sussex, yeve these.

LETTER CLXXXIII.

Thomas Randolph to Sir William Cecill, upon the publication of the Banns, previous to the marriage of Queen Mary with Lord Darnley.

[MS. COTTON. CALIG. B. IX. fol. 228. Orig.]

Chalmers, in his Life of Mary Queen of Scots, 8°. edit. 1822. vol. i. p. 225, from the Edinburgh Magazine of October 1817, says, "In the Buick of the Kirk of Canagait, The 21st July, A. D. 1565: the which day Johne Brand, mynister, presented to the Kirk ane writing, written be the justice clerks hand; desyring the Kirk of the Canagait, and mynister thereof, to proclaime Harie Duk of Albayne Erle of Roise on the one parte, and Marie be the grace of God, Quene of Scottis, soverane,, on the other part: the which the Kirk ordainis the mynister to do, with invocation of the name of God."" But from the following Letter of Thomas Randolph, the English agent in Scotland, it appears that the banns were really published with the Queen's name first. They were probably announced a second time in the Church of Canagait: but the third publication, as will be seen in the succeeding Letter, was in the Chapel of Holyrood House, immediately before the celebration of the Marriage. The same process was resorted to in 1567, when Mary gave her hand to Lord Bothwell: but the publication was refused by one Craig, a minister of Edinburgh, who was applied to upon the occasion; and who afterwards justified himself for the same before the Privy Council.

YOUR H. desyerethe from tyme to tyme to here of our doyngs here, and, as the worlde framethe amongeste us, presentlye I perceave that I shall lacke no matter to wryte of. Yester daye, beinge Sondaye, the Banes of Matrimonie were askede in St Giles Churche betwene thys Quene and the Lord Darlye a in that sorte as I sente your H. a byllet in wrytinge, saving that She was fyrste named. After dyner, with all the solemnities requisite, he was created Duke of

a Henry Lord Darnley.

Albanie, so that upon Sondaye nexte withowte all dowte the mariage goethe forwarde, but yet uncertayne whether yt shalbe in the Churche whear the Banes were asked, in the Abbie Churche, or in her owne Chappella.

Her force remaynethe contynnuallye with herr, and proclamation made thys daye that no man upon payne of deathe shall departe owte of the towne for x. dayes.

The daye of Lawe agaynste the iiij Bourgois men of thys towne is lyke to holde, for anye thynge that she cane be perswaded to the contrarie. Yf so be that theie do compere, the protestants have bounde them selves to assyste them with all the force that theie are hable to mayke. The daye is upon Thurseday nexte. Thys Counsell is nowe augmented by one copple mo then were before of worthye Counsellors, that upon Saterdaye with no smale force came to thys towne, the Earle Athall and L. Ruthen. So are ther nowe present the L. Chauncelor, L. Athall, L. Ersken, L. Ruthen, and the Secretarie; some other are admitted to stonde by, of the noble men that are here present. My Lord of Murraye hathe playnelye refused to come amonge their hands whome he hathe so good occasion to suspecte, and therfore yt was yesterdaye in consultation whether yt were beste to have hym proclamed rebell thys daye or not; whear unto some among the Lords dyscented. I knowe not yet what

They were actually married in the Chapel of Holirood House.

will become of yt, nor who their were that dyscented.

I here saye that the Quene will thys daye despache a man, I know not yet whome, towards the Quene's Matic, I thynke some Frenche man, bycause of the Emb. from whome she hathe all her intelligens. Ther is one Lassells that dwellethe bysyds Toplyf, a cunnynge dealer betwene thys Countrye and that. Maye yt please her Matie that I may knowe her pleasure for suche Englisshemen as are here, or others that Moste humblye I tayke my leave. At Edenbourge the xxiiijth of Julye, 1565.

come.

Yo' H. allwayes at commaund

THO. RANDOLPHE.

To the right honorable Sr. William

Scicill knight principal Secretorie to the Q. Matie.

LETTER CLXXXIV.

Thomas Randolph to the Earl of Leicester, from Edinburgh July 31 1565; giving an Account of the Marriage of the Queen of Scots to Lord Darnley. [MS. COTTON. CALIG. B. IX. fol. 218. Orig.]

I DoWTE not but your H. hathe hearde by such information as I have geven from hence, what the pre