LETTER XLV. 1594. July 20. with my Lord Admirall. I may perchance do her Majestye sume service. I am now preparynge thos 50 myners for which I had direction. But if her Majesties letter had left it att large, as well for Devon as Cornwale, Devon may better | spare men then Cornwale. But I am now tyed by the letter to Cornwale, which hath fewer men and is nirer the enemye. I pray, Sir, vouchsaufe me a lyne or too how things go on, and who goes for Britayne.1 Thus, evermore bound to honor and serve yow, I take leve. W. RALEGH. Sherburne, the 20th of July [1594]. Addressed: To the right honorable Sir ROBERT CECILI, Knight, one of her Endorsed: 20 Julii, 1594. – Sir Walter Rauleighe to my Master. XLVI. LETTER 1594. Aug. 25. To Sir R. TO SIR ROBERT CECIL. From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. xxvii. ff. 101, 102 (Hatfield. SIR, I BESEICH yow to geve me leve to trobell yow a littell with my particuler, because it concerns all the poore estate I have. The priests of Sallisburie have signed and sealed the fee-farmes more to benefite one 1 Brittany. FITS-JAMES, who hath geven them a good fine, then any way to satisfye or releve mee. They have stoode uppon scrupell of conscience to yeilde any thinge to Her Majestye; but, without her letters, without her cummandements, they have past £50 land to another, and in suche sorte as myne must be voyde unless that £50 land pass also. For they have geven myne upon condiscion that the other shall pass withall, or else both to be voyde. This bravely they dare to tye the Queen to do what they injoyne, or else they refuse to do what she commands. Now this wilbe the culler of this insolency,-that unless FITS-JAMES have his fee-farme, the Church shalbe in danger to lose £50 rent. But it is meerely false; for, if by any trick in law FITS-JAMES may pretende to defraud the Church of that rent, yet it was never ment to be so; and therfore the Chancery will inforce hyme by a decree att the first motion. And, if that should be doubted, I will undertake to assure that rent my sealf. This FITS-JAMES is a smooth knave as any leveth, and a false; and hee offers mee £200 for my good will. Butt, first, I gave the Queen a jewell worth £250 to make the byshope; 2 I must geve £60 land to the Churche, for ever, of increas,-which will cost mee £1200 more; the charges will cume to £250 more, which is demanded. And, when all this is spent, I am not one farthinge the better, butt the assurance of my estate only; which I purchase att a most terribell rate. I am sure, if I weare a Turke I could not be worss dealt withall then I am by them, who have dun nothinge for Her Majesties sake butt rackt mee yeven asunder; and, notwithstanding, have past to another £50 land,— better then all Sherburne,-for their own profitt, and to LETTER XLVI. 1594. Aug. 25. Private affairs.Dealings of the Chapter of Sarum James. Dean and with Fitz LETTER XLVI. satisfye their frinde. And, if it had not bynn for his sake, they would never have past myne; and so it Aug. 25. apeereth: for they pass myne butt on condiscion that his shall pass withall, or else both to be voyde. 1594. Sir, if you please but a littell to consider, both of the charge they putt mee to; how ernestly Her Maiesty hath dealt for me; how hardly they use mee; how undewtifully they dare to condiscion with the Queen; how, agaynst all presedent that ever was, they pass £50 land of their own handes,-which never any Church did, uncummanded by the Prince; I hope you may favor mee so mich,-uppon thes advantages.—as ether to cumpell them to graunt myne alone; or else that FITS-JAMES may case mee in my charges in a more liberall kynde, which-of the too-I desire rather. For if by sute, or by sume frinde in the Privy Chamber, hee shall obtayne his passage from the Queen, then shall I lose that which he offereth mee, and have it carried more to my disgrace. And therfore, if I could draw hyme to healp toward my charges, I had rather it should pass by mee then by another. On the other syde, I hope, by this advantage of the Byshope and Chapter, that I may be freed for this increas of rent during myne own life, [or] att least during the Byshop's, who, I hope, will easely be perswaded to spare mee for his tyme. But I desire that this graunt may be inroled to the Queen, before any speach b made att all, and then, when it is in Her, perchance Master Aturney will finde a waye to frustrat that condiscion, as sure as they think they have made it. Sir, if you think we may cum bake in tyme, after it is inrold to the Queen I could wish it rested ther; unless my wife be satisfied by FITS-JAMES to her likinge. ' ', [What follows appears to have been added somewhat later.] Sir, we are here att the Forelande, and purpose to cum over for the French coast as soon as we can. Butt I feare that wee shall have a wanton peece of work with thes shipps att this tyme of the yeare; and, if wee tarry longe, putt them so out of order, if not in danger, as they will hardly be reddy for the next yeare, when we shall have more use of them. My Lord Admirall knowes that if the wind blow att South, South-West, or South-South-West, and blow strong,-as it will do now every day,—that wee must then needs ride at ancor in the Downs; and if wee be driven to shift roades in the dark night here amonge the sands, how perrelous it may prove; butt we leve it to your wisedomes. Sure I am att this tyme of the yeare we can do no service, unless the enemy cum for the Themes mouthe; and if hee dare enter it with his shipps hee shall do more then wee dare do, but with that feare, deliberation, and tyme, as no enemy can do the like; nor ever pass up, while the world stands, unless he cume in the beast of summer, and have galles 2 to sound the Chanell, which now he cannot have for this yeare. For our instructions, I beseich yow they may be certayne, for else great advantage may be taken of us; I mean for goinge westwarde; wherof I now begin to be afearde, finding the unweildenes of thes shipps, in which I shall never sleap night, if I be here till Chrismass. Yours ever to do yow service, 25 August [1594]. W. RALEGH, Endorsed, in a different hand from that of the usual endorsements on the letters of this period: "Sir Walter Rawleigh," Without superscription, or date of the year. LETTER 1594. Aug. 25. LETTER 1594. Sept. 20. To Sir R. the Coast. Preparations for the Guiana Voyage. The plague at Sherborne. XLVII. TO SIR ROBERT CECIL. From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. xxviii. fol. 40 (Hatfield). SIR, ALTHOUGH EATON'S shipp be gonn, yet the letter will do no harme, for I may be frynded of hyme in sume thinges I want. Your own I have returned. And I can say no more, but what good shall happen in Ingland, or in India or elsewhere, so God favor mee as I take it and confess it to be of your most honorable frindshipps towards mee; and how much for such respect I may be bound you know, and which I will acknowledg and performe, to the end of my life. So, with my humble dewtye to my Mistris, I leve, and I am ever your servant, W. RALEGH. [POSTSCRIPT.]—I had a post this morning from Sherburne. The plaugue is in the town very hote. My Bess is on one way sent; hir sonne, another way; and I am in great troble therwithe. Addressed: To the right honorable Sir ROBERT CICILL, Knight, of Her Maiesties most honorable Privy Councell. |