Stowe MS 154

TRANSCRIPTS, facsimiles, and drafts of English and Foreign State letters; 1549-1765. A few of them have memoranda in the hand of Thomas Astle, and are copies of letters that have since been acquired by the British Museum. The contents are:-

1. Henry II. of France to, [Con Baccach] O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, accrediting envoys; Compiègne, 11 Oct. 1549. Copy.

2. James VI. of Scotland to " the Laerd of Philorth," asking him to give him a " gyir falcon q^lk is esteamit the best halk " in all Scotland, " seing halkis are but gifting geir and na utherwise to be accompted betwixt" them; Perth, 1 March, 1596/7. copy 17th cent. With a note stating that "this letter is our King James ye 1 original manuscript, and cam out of y^e Musæum Ashmoleanum at Oxford." f. 2.

3. Henry IV. of France to Qu. Elizabeth, thanking her for her letters on the conspiracy of the Due de Bouillon, the Maréchal de Biron, and others; Fontainebleau, 5 May, 1602. Translation. f. 4.

4. The same to the same, renewing his offers of assistance, " if by what may be deemed a general calamity " the peace of England should be interrupted; Montauban, 10 Sept., s. a. Translation. f. 4 b.

5. The same to " Mr. le Chancelyer," relating to the sentence passed on "La Dame de Vermont"; 13 April, s. a. Facsimile. f. 5.

6. The same to James I., congratulating him on his escape from the Gunpowder Plot; ]Paris, 18 Dec. 1605. Copy. Followed by translations of the same, and of a letter from Qu. Marie de' Medici on the same subject, 20 Dec. f. 6.

7. James I. to the University of Cambridge; n. d. Copy. Lat. f 9.

8. Charles I. to the Earl of Kingston, requesting the loan of £5,000, and asking him " to performe this courtesy without anie noise". Nottingham, 9 Sept. 1642. copy f 10.

9. Oliver Cromwell to Oliver St. John, on his need of money for the payment of the troops; 11 Sept. [1643]. Facsimile. The original is in Add. 5015*, F 6, and it is printed in Carlyle's Cromwell's Letters and Speeches, 1846, Supplement, Letter 7. f. 11.

10. The same to "Mr. Hich" [Hitch], concerning the "Quier Service" of Ely Cathedral; 10 Jan. 1643 [4]. copy. Printed by Carlyle, op. cit., Supplement, Letter 8. f 12.

11. Charles II. to Lady [Catherine] Shirley, condoling with her on the death of her husband Sir Robert Shirley, Bart., in the Tower; Brussels, 20 Oct. 1657. Facsimile. f. 13.

12. The same to the Earl of Clarendon on the insolence of Sir Harry Vane, who was executed a week after the date of the letter; Hampton Court [June, 1662]. Copy. The original is now in Lansdowne MS. 1236, f 132. f 14.

13. The same to the same, advising him and others not to interfere in his appointment of Lady Castlemaine as Lady of the Queen's Bedchamber; [Hampton Court, 1662]. Copy . The original is now in Lansdowne MS. 1236, f 128. f. 16.

14. Order of Charles II. forbidding the transporting of Scotch soldiers into France; Whitehall, - Jan. 1676/7. Copy . f 17.

15. [Simon Fraser, 13th Baron Lovat,] to [Duncan Forbes, Lord President of the Court of Session in Scotland]; Beaufort, 30 Oct. 1745. Copy. Printed in the Culloden Papers, 1815, f. 239, where, in a footnote, the last paragraph is stated to be a forgery. f 19.

16. Mary, dau. of George II., wife of Frederic II., Landgrave of Hesse Cassel, to George Grenville, Secretary of State; Celle, 18 Aug. 1762. Copy. f. 21.

17. George III. to [Frederic Christian Leopold, Elector of Saxony], on the death of his father, Frederic Augustus II., King of Poland; St. James's, 25 Oct. 1763. Copy. f. 23;-to [Charles William,] Duke of Brunswick Wolfenbüttel, and to his son Christian William Ferdinand, on the marriage of tile latter with Princess Augusta, the King's sister; St. James's, 9 Dec. 1763. Drafts. ff. 24, 26;-to Vladislas, Archbishop of Gniezno, Primate of Poland; 23 March, 1764. -Draft. Lat. f. 28.

18. Mary, Landgravine of Hesse Cassel, to George III., on her husband's attempting to deprive their sons of the Province of Hanau, which bad fallen to them on the former's embracing the Roman Catholic religion; Hanau, 2 May, 1764. Copy. With drafts of the reply and of a letter to the Landgravine from [Geo. Grenville?], 15 May. ff. 30, 32, 34.

19. Frederic, King of Denmark, to George III., asking for the hand of Princess Caroline Matilda, the King's youngest sister, for his son Christian [Christian VII., in 1766]; Friedensburg, 17 Aug. 1764. Copy. With draft of the reply, - Sept., and a copy of a letter to George III. from Prince Christian, 22 Jan. 1765. ff. 36, 38, 44.

20. Stanislas Augustus, King of Poland, to George III. on his election to the throne of Poland, with the King's reply; [1764]. Copies. f. 40.

21. Charles [Nicolas Alexandre d'Oultremont], Prince-Bishop of Liège, to George III.; Liège, 31 Oct. 1764. Copy. f. 42.

22. William, Prince Hereditary of Hesse, to George III.; n. d. [Feb. 1765 Copy. f. 46.

23. [Secretary Grenville?] to Pr. William of Hesse; Whitehall, - Feb. 1765. Draft. f. 48.

24. George III. to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, nominating John, Earl of Glasgow, as his representative, etc.; n. d. f. 49. Paper; ff. 50. xviiith cont. Folio.

includes:

• f. 1 Henry II of France: Letter to the Earl of Tyrone: 1549.: Copy.
• f. 1 Con Baccach O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone: Letter to, from Henry II. of France: 1549.
• f. 2 Hawks: Letter of James VI. relating to: 1597.
• f. 2 James VI of Scotland: Letter to the " Laerd of Philorth": 1597.: Copy.
• f. 4 Charles de Gontaut, Duc de Biron: Letter of Henry IV. of France concerning his conspiracy: 1602.
• f. 4 Henri La Tour d'Auvergne, Duc de Bouillon: Letter of Henry IV. of France conc. his conspiracy: 1602.
• ff. 4, 4 b Henry IV of France: Correspondence with Qu. Elizabeth: 1595-1602.
• ff. 4, 4b Elizabeth I of England: Correspondence with Henry IV., of France: 1593-1602.: Copies.
• f. 5 Henry IV of France: Letter to " Mr. le Chancelier ": n.d.: Facsimile.
• f. 5 Vermont, Dame de: Letter of Henry IV. of France concerning her sentence: n.d.
• f. 6 James I of England: Letters to, from Henry IV. and Marie de' Medici, on the Gunpowder Plot: 1605.
• f. 6 Henry IV of France: Correspondence of Marie de' Medici with James I.: 1605, 1610.
• f. 6 Henry IV of France: Correspondence with James I.: 1605, 1607.
• f. 9 James I of England: Letters to Cambridge University: 1617, n.d.: Lat.: Copies.
• f. 9 University of Cambridge: Letters to, from James I.: 1617, n.d.
• f. 10 Robert Pierrepont, Earl of Kingston: Letter to, from Charles I.: 1642.
• f. 10 Ely, Cambridgeshire: Letter of O. Cromwell conc. the " Quier Service " of the Cathedral: 1644.
• f. 10 Charles I of England: Letter to the Earl of Kingston: 1642.: Copy.
• f. 11 Oliver St John, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas: Letters to, from O. Cromwell: 1643, 1648.
• f. 11 Oliver Cromwell of England: Letters to O. St. John: 1643, 1648.: Copies.
• f. 12 Hitch: Letter to, from O. Cromwell: 1643.
• f. 12 Oliver Cromwell of England: Letter to - Hitch: 1644.: Copy.
• f. 13 Catherine Shirley, wife of Sir R Shirley, Baronet: Letter to, from Charles II., on her husband's death in the Tower: 1657.
• f. 13 Charles II of England: Letter to Lady Shirley: 1657.: Facsimile.
• f. 14 Sir Henry Vane, the younger; statesman: Letter of Charles II. on the insolence of: 1662.
• ff. 14, 16 Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon: Letters to, from Chas. II.: [1661], 1662.
• ff. 14, 16 Charles II of England: Letters to Lord Clarendon: [1661], 1662.: Copies.
• f. 16 Barbara Palmer, wife of Roger, Earl of Castlemaine; Duchess of Cleveland 1670: Letter of Charles II. conc. her appointment as Lady of the Queen's Bedchamber: 1662.
• f. 17 Charles II of England: Order forbidding the transporting of Scotch soldiers into France: 1677.: Copy.
• f. 19 Simon Fraser, 13th Baron Lovat; executed 1747: Letter to D. Forbes: 1745.: Copy.
• f. 19 Duncan Forbes: Letter to, as Lord President of the Court of Session in Scotland: 1745.
• f. 21 Right Hon. George Grenville: Letter to, from Pr. Mary, Landgravine of Hesse-Cassel: 1762.
• f. 21 Hesse-Cassel, Landgraves of. Frederick II: Letter from Mary, his wife, to G. Grenville: 1762.: Copy.
• f. 23 George III of England: Letter to the Elector of Saxony: 1763.: Copy.
• f. 23 Augustus III; King of Poland: Letter of George III. on the death of: 1763.
• f. 23 Frederic Christian Leopold; Duke of Saxony, Electors and: Letter to, from George III.: 1763.
• f. 24 Charles William; Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel: Letter to, from George III., on the marriage of his son with Pr. Augusta: 1763.
• ff. 24, 26 George III of England: Letters to the Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and his son: 1763.: Drafts.
• f. 26 Charles William Ferdinand; Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel: Letter to, as Prince Hereditary, from George III., conc. his marriage with Pr. Augusta: 1763.
• f. 28 George III of England: Letter to Vladislas, primate of Poland: 1764.: Draft.
• f. 28 Vladislas, Archbishop of Gniezno, Primate of Poland: Letter to, from George III.: 1764.
• f. 30 Hanau, Germany: Correspondence of the Landgravine of Hesse-Cassel with George III. conc.: 1764.
• f. 30 Hesse-Cassel, Landgraves of. Frederick II: Correspondence of Mary, his wife, with George III.: 1764.: Copies.
• ff. 36, 38 Frederic V; King of Denmark: Letter to George III., with draft reply: 1764.: Copy.
• ff. 36, 38, 44 Christian VII; King of Denmark: Papers rel. to his marriage with Princess Caroline Matilda of England: 1764.: Lat. and Fr.
• ff. 36, 38, 44 George III of England: Letters to, from Frederic, King of Denmark: 1764.: Copies.
• ff. 36, 38, 44 Frederic Louis, Princes of Wales: Letters relating to the marriage of his dau. Caroline Matilda with Pr. Christian of Denmark: 1764.: Copies.
• f. 40 George III of England: Correspondence with Stanislas, King of Poland: 1764.: Copy.
• f. 40 Stanislas Augustus; King of Poland: Letter to George III., with reply: 1764.: Copies.
• f. 42 George III of England: Letter to, from the Prince Bishop of Liége: 1764.
• f. 42 Charles Nicholas Alexandre d' Outremont, Count; Prince Bishop of Liége: Letter to George III.: 1764.: Copy.
• f. 46 George III of England: Letter to, from William, Pr. Hereditary of Hesse: 1765.: Copy.
• f. 46 Hesse-Cassel, Landgraves of. William VIII: Letter, as Prince Hereditary, to George III.: 1765.: Copy.
• f. 48 Hesse-Cassel, Landgraves of. William VIII: Letter to, as Pr. Hereditary, from Sec. Grenville (?): 1765.: Draft.
• f. 49 John Boyle, Earl of Glasgow: Nomination by George III. as Commissioner to the Gen. Assembly: [1764-72].
• f. 49 George III of England: Letter to the Gen. Assembly of the Church of Scotland: n.d.: Copy.