BOOK "God to send a course of many joyful years." Written from Pykring house in London. Subscribed,

Anno 1583.

The lord Thomas Wentworth died this year.

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Humbly at the commandment of your good lordship, "Thomas Wotton."

As the lord Thomas Wentworth buried his eldest son the last year put an end to his own life; who was year, so this the last English governor of Calais. He lived at Mile-End, and was lord of the great manor of Stebunheth, now commonly called Stepney, in the suburbs of London. There having been a great friendship between that lord and the 209 lord treasurer, the surviving lord Henry his son wrote to the said lord treasurer the sad news of his father's death; and begging the continuance of his favour to him; and to assist him in the discharge of his trust and duty to his deceased father; whose concerns were altogether uncertain to him. His letter was in these words:

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Right honourable and my very good lord. It hath "pleased God to call unto his mercy this night, my lord, 66 my father. And for that I am well acquainted with the "entire affection and honourable good-will which your "lordship did bear unto him while he yet lived, (for the "which I most humbly thank your lordship,) and being as

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yet altogether uncertain in what state his lordship is de"parted; wherein, both in nature and duty, it most nearly "toucheth me to see his credit and honour in all points "most carefully maintained: it may please your good lord"ship, in respect as well of the premises, as also for the "good meaning I have to discharge my duty thereto apper"taining, to stand my honourable good lord, for the better "accomplishing thereof: beseeching your honour, that as I "am wholly at your lordship's commandment during life, "so it may please your good lordship to accept of my good "affections, and to shew your lordship's honourable favour "in all such matters as shall concern my poor estate. And "thus with my humble commendations I commit your good lordship to the protection of the Almighty; who grant

all your

you honourable desires. Stebunheth, the 14th CHAP. "of January, 1583.

XVII.

"Your good lordship's most assured, always to command, Anno 1583. "Henry Wentworth."

By the way, an error in Camden's History of Queen Eliza- Camd. Eliz. beth, by the date of this letter, may be corrected; who P. 446. placed this lord Tho. Wentworth's death under the year

1590.

false money

A notable coiner was this year discovered and taken up A coiner of in Cheshire, at Warrington, whose name was Orrel; appre-taken up. hended first upon suspicion, living with his father-in-law, one Cartwright. Sir John Biron, and two justices more, searching his house, found divers secret rooms; and in a dark corner, between two mud walls, whereinto there was neither light nor entry, but by breaking one of them, among divers other things, both of metals and wood, as censors, bells, crucifix, chrismatory, &c. and such like church stuff, they found, sewed up in a canvass cloth, certain piercings, and droppings or dross of metal, and a pair of gold weights. We have mentioned some of these coiners before, and shall add another, discovered two or three years after, viz. anno 1586.

coiner dis

covered.

One Christopher Amyce, formerly a merchant of Lon- Another don, coined rials, and other coins. He acknowledged he had coined seven score pistolets, and many spur-rials of a foreign coin. And that he made his plates himself, and stamped them also. And his instrument or mill was made in France, and all other his instruments and engines; and 210 brought by him into England....That he coined twenty pieces of Scotch coin; brass within, and blanched over with silver and his spur-rials were made of fine silver and gilt. And that one Nevil Reve had of him sixty double pistolets for six shillings apiece; ten spur-rials at five shillings apiece. And that he and another were present at the stamping of them. And that he buried the stamps and other instruments near to Croydon, five miles distant from London.

BOOK

I.

Anno 1584.

The queen

sive of the king of Spain.

p. 305.

CHAP. XVIII.

Consultation about annoying Spain. Captain Hawkins's advice therein; viz. to assist the king of Portugal. The queen's transactions with the agents of Holland. She is concerned for the murder of the prince of Orange. Her careful letter to the duke of Monpensier about that prince's daughters. The lord treasurer to the king of Navarr. Prince palatine comes into England. A scandal of the earl of Shrewsbury. Popish plots. An association of the nobility and gentry. Mendoza, the Spanish ambassador, sent away. Stafford, the queen's ambassador at Paris. His intelligence of him, and English fugitives there. The faction of the Guises. A new parliament: usage of parliament. Supplication for learned and preaching ministers. Petitions for that end: and for regulation of divers things in the church. Answers of the archbishop and bishops.

THE

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queen

and kingdom had the greatest apprehensions apprehen- from abroad of the king of Spain: with whom she could obtain no good understanding: and of whom especially it concerned her to beware, considering his power; which at that time was formidable; and thus set forth by our hisCamd. Eliz. torian. "All the princes of Italy were at his beck; the bishop of Rome was wholly addicted and engaged to him: "the cardinals were, as it were, his vassals: all the ablest persons, for matters both of war and peace, were his pen"sioners. In Germany, the house of Austria, an house ex"tending and branching far and wide, and other houses al"lied unto the same by marriages, did, as it were, attend "upon him and his service. His wealth also and strength 211" were so much increased, both by sea and land, since the "late addition of Portugal and East India, that he was far

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more powerful and formidable than ever his father "Charles V. was. And if he should once reduce the Ne"therlands under his power, there was nothing to hinder, "but that the rest of the princes of Christendom must of "necessity stoop to his greatness, unless it were prevented.”

XVIII.

deliberates

Low Coun

This powerful prince then the queen had to deal with. CHAP. It was judged therefore the best course to favour the Netherlanders, with whom he was now in war, and towards Anno 1584. whom he had exercised great barbarities. It was now under The queen deliberation concerning the doing of this weighty matter. about asThe lord treasurer had consulted with Hawkins, a brave sisting the seaman, and treasurer of the admiralty, upon this affair: tries. and what means might be used in this undertaking: requiring to know his thoughts thereof. He soon after shewed that statesman, in writing, the means to offend that king, and the reasons to maintain that faction. Take them from his own pen; beginning with his own letter to the said lord. After which followed another paper, entitled, The best means to annoy the king of Spain without charge to her majesty. And first take his letter.

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annoying

"After his bounden duty in right humble manner pre-Hawkins's "sented. That he had briefly considered upon a substantial advice for course, and the material reasons, that by his own experi- the king of Spain. "ence he knew, by God's assistance, would strongly annoy "and offend the king of Spain, the mortal enemy of our re

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ligion, and the present government of the realm of Eng"land." And then proceeding in this serious manner.

"And surely, my very good lord, if I should only con- His letter "sider and look for mine own life, my quietness and com

modity, then truly mine own nature and disposition doth prefer peace before all things. But when I consider where"unto we are born; not for ourselves, but for the defence of "the church of God, our prince, and our country; I do then "think, how this most happy government might, with good providence, prevent the conspiracies of our enemies.

"That he nothing at all doubted of our ability in wealth. "For that he was persuaded, that the substance of this "realm was trebled: adding, God be glorified for it. Nei"ther did he think there wanted provisions, carefully pro“vided, of shipping, ordnance, powder, armour, and muni"tion: so as the people were exercised by some means in "the course of war. For he read, that when Mahomet, the "Turk, took the famous city, Constantinople, digging up

to the lord treasurer.

1.

BOOK "in the foundations and bottoms of the houses, he found "such infinite treasure, as the said Mahomet, condemning Anno 1584. their wretchedness, wondered how that city could have "been overcome, or taken, if they had in time provided "men of war and furniture for their defence, as they were 66 very well able. So, said he, there wanted no ability in us, "if we were not taken unprovided, and upon a sudden.

"And that this was the only cause that had moved him

❝ to say his mind frankly in this matter, and to set down 212" those notes enclosed. Praying the Almighty God, who "directeth the hearts of all governors, either to the good " and benefit of the people, for their relief and deliverance; "or else doth alter and hinder their understanding, to the "punishment and ruin of the people, for their sins and of"fences. Humbly beseeching his good lordship to bear "with his presumption, in dealing with matters so high; "and to judge of them by his great wisdom and experience, "how they might, in his lordship's judgment, be worthy the "consideration. And so humbly taking his leave. From Deptford, the 20th of July, 1584. Subscribing,

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"Your honourable lordship's ever assuredly bounden, "John Hawkyns."

His other paper, sent with his letter, was thus endorsed ; Reasons to maintain the faction. The title was, The best means how to annoy the king of Spain, in my opinion, without charge to her majesty. Which also shall bring great profit to her highness and subjects. And is as ensueth:

"First, If it shall be thought meet, that the king of Por"tugal may, in his right, make war with the king of Spain, "then he would be the best means to be the head of the "faction. There would be obtained from the said king of "Portugal an authority to some person, that should always "give leave to such, as, upon their own charge, would serve "to annoy the king of Spain, as they might, both by sea "and land: and of their booties to pay unto the king of "Portugal 5 or 10 of the hundred.

“There would be also one person authorized by her ma