LETTER VIIL 1601-1602. March. Lady On ill offices at Court, done by Lady Kildare (wife of Lord Cobham). Queen. Hit tis trew that I shuld not have mistrosted so unhonarable a thought in heer to me, without good prowf. But I protest, as you knoo, I never understood hit by you; nether did I ever see you, or heer from you, sens heer ladiship deed me that good office. Therfor hit tis but heer mistaking, wich shee ewsseth to1 much. I unly say this, that for the honnar I beear heer name and the auncient aquaintans of heer, I wish shee wold be as ambitious to doo good, as she is apte to the contrari. This, ever wisheng you all honnar, I rest Your asured poour frind, Addressed: "To the rite honnarabel Mr. Sekretar.” E. RALEGH. Endorsed: "March, 1601. The Lady Raleigh to my Master.” LETTER 1603. Nov. 18? To Lord 1603. IX. LADY RALEGH TO SECRETARY LORD CECIL OF From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. cii. § 20 (Hatfield). Holograph. If the greved teares of a unfortunat woman may resevef ani fafor, or the unspekeabell sorros of my ded hart may resevef ani cumfort, then let my sorros cum before you -which, if you trewly knew, I asur my selfe you wold pitti me, but most espescially your poour unfortunat frind wich relyeth holy on your honnarabell and wontid fafor. LETTER IX. 1603. Nov. 18? I knoo in my own soule-wich sumthing knooeth his mind-that hee douth, and ever hath doon, not unlly honered the Keng, but naturally loveth him. And God knooeth 1 far from him to wish him harme, but to have spent his life as soune for him as ani cretuer for his inleveng. I most humly besiech your Honnar-even for God sake to be good unto him; to onns more make him your cretur, your relifed frind; and dell with the Keng for him-for onn that is more worti of fafor than mani eles; having worthe, and onnesti, and wisdom to be a frind. Pitti the name of your ancient frind on his poour littell cretuer, wich may leve to honnar you; that wee all may lift up our handes and hartes in prayeur for you and youres. Bind this our pooure famelies to prayes 5 your honnar and wonted good natur. Let the hole world prayes your love to my poour unfortunat hosban. For Cristis sake, wich rewardeth all mercies, pitti his just case; and God for his infeni marci bles you for ever, and work in the Keng merci. I am not abell, I protest befor God, to stand on my trembling leges, otherwies I wold have waited now on you; or be derectid holy by you. Shee that will trewly honnar you in all misfortune, Addressed: "To the most honnarabell my Lord CISSELL, &c. &c.” 1 "it was," or some like words, have here, it is obvious, been omitted in the writer's agitation. 3 Walter, their son, then about eight years of age. 2 relieved. Entreaties tercession with the King on her husband's behalf. 4 For these. 5 praise. 6 cause. LETTER X. [1604?] Lady 1604. X. LADY RALEGH TO SECRETARY LORD VISCOUNT From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. cxc. § 6 (Hatfield). Holograph. MY GOOD LORD, As it hath plesed your Lordshept hetherto to be our only cumfort in our lamentabell misfortuns, so I most humbly beseich your Lordshept, both in cumpasCranborne. sion and justes, to speke one word to me Lord Admirall not to take from us by strong hand that which his Magesti hath geven us for our relife. Entreaty for his interposition against seizures made by the Earl of Nottingham, under pretext of grants from King Sir W. possessions. I might have hoped that me Lord Admirall-if wee might hope for anithing from any leving man—would rather have geveng us sumthing back agayne of his great porcion. His Lordshepe hath six thowsand pound, and three thowsand pound a yeare, by my husban's falle. And, since hit pleseth God that his Lordship shall build uppon our ruines, which wee never suspected, yet the porcion is great and I trust sufficient, out of onn1 poour gentelman's fortun to take all that remaines, and not to louke backe before his Magisti's grant, and take from us the debts past, wich your Lordshept knoos ware stayed from us, by a proclamation, befor my husban was suspected of ani offence. If me Lord's grant do beare them, and his conscience warrant hime, wee must yeild willingly to Gode's will and the King's. But if me Lord Admirall have no onn1 word, in his grant, for them, then what neither the Keng, lawe, nor conscience, have geven from us, I trust his Lordship will espare us willingly. God knous that our debts ar above three thoussand pound, and the bread and foode taken from me and my children will never augment my Lorde's table, though hit famish us. If your Lordshept, without his Lordship's ofens, can in charitie parswade his Lordshept to relinquish ether all, or but the half, of that wich belongs not unto him, wee shall be more and more bound to your Lordshept. Who, being unworthi to be a frind, will remaine your Lordsheptes poour servant, E. RALEGH. Addressed: "To the right honorable the Lord Vicount CRANBORNE, &c. &c." The endorsement is followed by a list of names which reads thus :- LETTER X. [1604?] 1609? LADY RALEGH TO KING JAMES THE FIRST. From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. cxcv. § 85 (Hatfield). Without subscription or signature. Undated. I BESEICH your Majestie, in the mercies of JESUS LETTER XI. 1609? LETTER XI. 1609? Lady Ralegh to the King. Entreaty that the King would spare to herself and her children some fragment of Ralegh's Dorset shire estates, of which the bulk had been given to Carr, after the gift of Ralegh's other pos sessions to the Earl of Nottingham. my self and my poore children: That, whereas your Majestie hath disposed of all my husband's estate, to the valew of four thowsand pound a yeare, so that ther remayneth nothing to geve me and my children bread but one fee farme held of the Bishop of SARUM, which your Majestie hath bestowed upon my husband during his life, that it will please your Majestie of your aboundant goodnes to relinquish your Majesties right in the reversion of that farm, and suffer those poore harmless children to injoy the same, in imitation of the most just and mercifull God, who though Hee punished the fathers yet Hee gave the land to the guileless and innocent children. And wee shall ever pray to God for the continewance and increase of your Majesties deerest cum fortes. Headed: "The humble Petition of the Ladie RALEGH." * ** Attached to this Petition, in the present (and recent) arrangement of the Cecil Papers at Hatfield, is the following Draft of a royal letter to the Lord Treasurer Salisbury, which Draft bears this endorsement in the hand of the Lord Treasurer's secretary : Draught of a Warrant to pass to the Lady RALEGH, and her children, all his Majesties interest in the lands. SALSBURIE, 'WHERAS We understand that by rigor of law the 'reversion of Sir WALTER RALEGH'S lands may come into Our hands, yet seing his conveiance was made in the Queen Our Sister's time, as also because We have given to him self those lands for his own life, Our pleasure is that you cause a grant to be drawn for Us So repeated in MS. |