Harley MS 6993

ff. 1r–132v: Letters on state affairs from many prominent individuals, including Christopher Hatton, Walter Mildmay, Henry Norreys, Richard Shelley, Thomas Smith, and Francis Walsingham, 1581–1586.

ff. 1r–2v: Original letter from Mr William Badger to Francis Mylles Esquire, concerning the right of some fees in the execution of his office of bailiwick, 20 May 1581, Winchester.

ff. 3r–4v: Original letter from William Harebrowne to Burghley, on the result of his embassy to Constantinople, 9 June 1581, Pera.

ff. 5r–6v: Original letter from Walter Raleigh to the Earl of Leicester, reminding him of his affection to his Lordship, and forwardness to serve him; that he had spent some time under the deputy in such poor place and charge, that but for his being his Lordship's friend, he would despise it as much as to keep sheep, and that Sir Warram Sentleger can give him the whole account of that commonwealth, or rather common woe, whom he recommends to his favour. In a postscript he recommends the pitiful state of John Fitz Edmonds of Cloyne, who proved true to Elizabeth in this and the last rebellion. 26 August 1581, Lismore, Ireland.

ff. 7r–v: Original letter from Sir Roger Manwood Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer to Burghley, justifying himself about any hard dealing towards Elizabeth's tenants of Norbourne; intending to lay open the encroachments of the lieutenant of Dover Castle, and one Barwick, who is at his devotion, next term, to the undeceiving of his lordship in his good opinion of them, 26 August 1581.

ff. 8r–9v: Original letter from the Earl of Northumberland to Burghley, complaining of many injuries of some gentlemen of Northumberland, whilst he, under restraint in these parts, could not be there to take any course in defence of himself, 13 September 1581, Petworth.

ff. 10r–v: Original letter from Mr Arthur Atye to Mr Customer Smith, desiring him to pay the £200 as his adventure in Mr Frobisher's voyage to the East Indies into the hands of Frobisher himself, and to take a note of his hand for it. 12 October 1581.

ff. 11r–12v: Original letter from Mr John Hawkins to Smioth, Atye and Richard Bolland, that by reason of his experiences in the last preparation and debt to Elizabeth he is unable to adventure in this voyage; that his sickness returns every other day, so that if he looks abroad an hour, he can scarce recover it in six days, and that he always liked the enterprise and wishes that it would go well, 20 October 1581, Chatham.

ff. 13r–14v: A warrant signed by Martin Frobisher, Luke Ward and Edward Fenton to Mr Atye to pay Captain Fenton £300, 7 November 1581.

ff. 15r–16v: Original letter from Robert Earl of Essex to Sergeant Puckering, requesting him to nominate his uncle George Devereux as one of the three candidates for the sheriff of Cardigan, 10 November 1581.

ff. 17r–18v: Original letter from Manwood to Burghley, justifying himself in a cause between him and Lord Cobham, 4 December 1581.

ff. 19r–20v: Original letter from Leicester to Burghley, on behalf of his brother the Earl of Warwick to be released from the inconvenience of a warrant directed to him from the Privy Seal, for the payment of money from Elizabeth's stores, 5 February 1581.

ff. 21r–v: Original letter from Wolfgang Zundelin to Sir Henry Savile at Nuremberg, giving him an account of current news related to peace and war between foreign princes, 20 April 1582, Venice. In Latin.

ff. 22r–23v: Original letter from Joachim Matthaeus Wackhe[ing] to Savile at Nuremberg, in which after some compliments upon his arrival etc., he offers to his judgement the nativity of his son, and gives him the views of Wittichus about it, and concludes with his good wishes to his old patron Sir Philip Sidney, etc., 13 May 1582, Bratislava.

ff. 24r–26v: Original letter from Sir Richard Shelley to Burghley, subscribing himself, his cousin of St John's, and giving an account of his transactions with the Signory, and of his allegiance, 24 August 1582, Venice.

ff. 27r–28v: Original letter from Shelley to Walsingham, concerning the trade of the English merchants with Venice, and his desire to come into England after twenty-three years of adversity, so that he might live here as a Catholic, 24 August 1582, Venice.

ff. 29r–30v: Original letter from Northumberland to Burghley, concerning a suspicion Elizabeth had of him for entertaining Monsieur du Bex, with his account and defence of himself, 25 September 1582, Petworth.

ff. 31r–32v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, with an account from Mr Bowes in Scotland, of the Duke of Lennox's likelihood to maintain his ground and recover the king, whom his adversaries had got into their hands. 22 December 1582.

ff. 33r–34v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, on the precedence of Bowes (Elizabeth's ambassador) in Scotland, and La Motte (the French king's), 26 December 1582, Barn Elms.

ff. 35r–36v: Sir Philip Sidney to Burghley, thanking him for favours and seeing Elizabeth's willingness to comply with the Lord Warwick's request, that Sidney might be joined in his office of ordnance, desires that Burghley will further it, 27 January 1583, at Court.

ff. 37r–38v: Original letter from Mr Thomas Copley to Burghley, pleasing his hard case and excusing himself on the grounds of religion, 12 February 1583, Paris.

ff. 39r–40v: Original letter from Sir Christopher Hatton (vice chamberlain) to Burghley, on the arrival of Albert a Lasco, and some guesses as to the occasion; of Elizabeth's accepting Burghley's offer of his house for her entertainment in the ember week; of the Lord Oxford's trial with her for Waltham Forest, and the wise letter he wrote upon the subject, which she viewed favourably. 19 March 1583, Richmond.

ff. 41r–42v: Original letter from Sir Walter Mildmay to Burghley, wishing Elizabeth would restore the maintenance of the poor Knights of Windsor, as it was intended, and that Lord Hertford would rather accept a lease for a good number of years, than have the prebend in fee farm, 29 March 1583.

ff. 43r–v: Original letter from Shelley to Elizabeth, on the business Elizabeth employed him to solicit with Venice concerning his business, with his thanks for the passport she granted him to return home, 27 May 1583, Venice.

ff. 44r–45v: Original letter from Sir Edward Stafford to Burghley, on the offer made to him of going to France as ambassador upon Sir Henry Cobham's return, setting forth his circumstances and request that Elizabeth would lend him £200 to bear his expenses, and his friends would give her bonds for it, if she would only excuse him the interest 12 June 1583.

ff. 46r–47v: Original letter from Mildmay to Burghley, that he left Mary Queen of Scots with some difficulty to believe that the treaty would result in a match for her, and desiring Burghley to end the matter between Thomas Cecil and his son Fitzwilliams, 17 June 1583, Sheffield Castle.

ff. 48r–49v: Original letter from Henry Lord Norreys to Burghley, desiring that that his son John could end his days in Elizabeth's service, although the Prince of Orange had requested his speedy return to Flanders, because he had seen so much of war abroad, 30 June 1583, Rycott.

ff. 50r–51v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, informing him that Lord Ormond had informed the council that Desmond was reduced to great extremity, and desired direction to discharge his soldiers; of George Carew's treachery towards the Irish (enough to make them hate the English), and depending upon no fair promises afterwards. A messenger has arrived from Monsieur to Elizabeth, with something concerning Mr Fenton's journal of his voyage, 2 July 1583.

ff. 52r–53v: Original letter from Sir Henry Bowes to Burghley, on his voyage to the Emperor of Russia, 29 July 1583, St Nicholas.

ff. 54r–55v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, that events had ran headlong in Scotland and the course to be taken for preserving amity there, 6 August 1583, Barn Elms.

ff. 56r–57v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, on his journey to Edinburgh, showing that the disunion among the Scots is likely to further his embassy, and that the king's violent courses are in danger of proving his ruin, 26 August 1583, Newcastle.

ff. 58r–59v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, that some counsel and measures taken by Elizabeth might make the Scots her enemies, 30 September 1583, York.

f. 60r: Letter in French from Theodore Beza to an unknown English gentleman; Beza is glad to see from his letters that his French is improving, and recommends Marot's works to him for his rules to his scholars, etc., 18 December 1583.

ff. 61r–62v: Original letter from Roger Lord North to Burghley, complaining of the two chief justices (especially Anderson) for disobliging carriage to himself and the other justices of Suffolk and Cambridge, whom he represents as the hottest man that ever sat in judgement, especially for having discredited them in open court. For that a thief had been condemned and executed for ten pence by their general mistake of the law, 13 February 1584, Kirtling.

ff. 63r–v: Original letter from George Devereux to Puckering, letting him know indirectly how roughly Mr Atkins dealt with him at the last assizes, and requesting that their next assize may be held at Cardigan, 22 April 1584, Lantphey (Llanfeth).

ff. 64r–65v: Original letter from Edward Mansell to Puckering, recommending Mr Henry Morgan to be chosen in his commission of peace in Carmarthenshire, as well as his son in law Walter Rice, 12 May 1584, Morgan.

ff. 66r–67v: Original letter from Sir Robert Carey to his father Lord Hunsdon, informing him of the rage Elizabeth was in at his delay in going to his post at Berwick, when she swore "God's wounds, she would set him by the feet, and send another in his place." [8 June 1584].

ff. 68r–69v: Original letter from Lord Hunsdon to Burghley, on the aforementioned subject, showing the cause of the delay to have been Elizabeth denying the loan of £1000 and desiring him to surrender his office, 8 June 1584, Hunsdon.

ff. 70r–71v: Original letter from Leicester to Burghley, in vindication of himself from the information that he procured 30,000 cloths for the merchants, and his request for the keeping of Malvern Chase during the lunacy of the Lady Warwick, as it is the ancient inheritance of the Earls of Warwick. 8 July 1584.

ff. 72r–v: Dr John Hammond's opinion why the Vicar of Alton cannot demand tithe of the woad growing in that parish by law, but how far in equity he may be allowed it, 17 October 1584.

ff. 73r–74v: Original letter from Stafford (ambassador in France) to Burghley, with advice from there relating to the States Deputies sent to the king, 14 January 1585, Paris.

ff. 75r–v: Hatton to Elizabeth, clearing his innocence of a report that he had revealed an expression of her to the Turks, no date.

ff. 76r–77v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, on two letters prepared for mustering the maritime counties, and the disarming of recusants, with some guesses about the Queen Mother's mischievouness, 7 April 1585.

ff. 78r–79v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, on the offers and demands of the Dutch to contribute 300,000 guilders and Elizabeth to contribute 4000 footsoldiers and 2000 horses, and be repaid when the wars end, with the inconvenience of Elizabeth's unwillingness, 24 April 1585, Barn Elms.

ff. 80r–81v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, with his judgement on how the men raised for the Low Countries should be sent, 21 May 1585, Barn Elms.

ff. 82r–83v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, returning thanks for referring a libel abusing him to the vice-chancellor of Cambridge, 24 May 1585, Barn Elms.

ff. 84r–86v: Original letter from Sir Amias Paulet (Mary Queen of Scots' keeper) to Burghley, concerning Burghley's order to open the packets that came to her, with the minutes of another of his letters on the same subject, 8 June 1585, Tutbury.

ff. 87r–90v: Original letter from Paulet to Walsingham, relating his conference with Mary and her secretary Nau, whom he desires to have removed, 10 June 1585, Tutbury.

ff. 91r–92v: Original letter from Thomas Digges to Leicester, with a plan of military ordnance for the army he is to conduct into the Low Countries, so that Leicester may resolve on the best from the opinions of the ablest judges in military matters, with the States' inclination to have only him for their governor, 23 June 1585.

ff. 93r–97v: Original letter from Paulet to Burghley, with a copy of his letter to Walsingham enclosed, concerning instructions about Mary Queen of Scots, for the restraint of secret letters, etc., 5 July 1585, Tutbury.

ff. 98r–99v: Original letter from Paulet to Burghley; a copy of his letter to Walsingham concerning Mary Queen of Scots's desire to live in another house, 8 August 1585, Tutbury.

ff. 100r–101v: A copy of certain passages in the letter sent to Mary and her servants. Namely, Lord Claud Hamilton; Mary Seton in French; Du Ruisseau in French; the French ambassador to her secretary Nau, and to Elizabeth in French; John Chisholme to Elizabeth; Thomas Levingstone to her, and Nau from his brother in Frenh. Enclosed in the former letter.

ff. 102r–103v: Original letter from Paulet to Burghley, concerning Mary's removal, until the apartments she is in currently are repaired, and of the damage done by the floods to Elizabeth's meadows, 17 August 1585, Tutbury.

ff. 104r–106r: Original letter from Paulet to Walsingham, on what passed between him and Mary, on her proposed removal to Mr Cavendish's house, if she might be kept there safely, 17 August 1585, Tutbury.

ff. 107r–108v: Original letter from Lord Edward Beauchamp to Burghley, desiring release from the prison where he is confined by his father's means, seeing as he has so long sought reconciliation with him, and upon his knees, to whom he never did nor will forget his duty, except his lordship will think it an offence, that he will not forsake his wife, August 1585, the Fleet.

ff. 109r–v: George Devereux to Puckering, requesting his good word to Mr Heale, that he would forbear to arrest him, and he will pay him £40 at May next, and the rest as soon as possible; also craving his furtherance with the Lord Chancellor that two of his friends who would be serviceable to him may be put in the commission of the peace, as he is custos rotulurum (keeper of the rolls).

ff. 110r–111v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, on his answer to a malicious pamphlet in Italian against Elizabeth, and that it is thought appropriate to show the commissioners the declaration for assisting the States before it is printed, etc., 12 October 1585.

ff. 112r–113v: Original letter from Robert Earl of Essex to Puckering, for the reprieve of David Lloyd William, until the next sessions, etc., 29 October 1585, Leicester House.

ff. 114r–115v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, of the loss sustained in victualing the soldiers, calculated at a third; the deputy to have no part of the composition money; the arrival of the afflicted strangers disliked by some, and what guard to be allowed to the governors, 4 November 1585, at Court.

ff. 116r–117v: Original letter from Robert Earl of Essex to Puckering, that he would recommend some of his Lordship's friends and servants in Wales here named, to be chosen in the commission of the peace, 9 November 1585, Leicester House.

f. 118r: Petrus Regemorterus to Leicester, offering his services, having been informed that the fruits of his studies would be acceptable to him, 26 November 1585, London. In Latin.

ff. 119r–120v: Original letter from Leicester to Burghley, upon his departure to the Low Countries, earnestly requesting him to have the cause of assisting those distressed people so far at heart, that he may not want for supplies and maintenance etc., 5 December 1585, on his way to the seaside.

ff. 121r–122v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, with his opinion on Mr Ortell's marginal notes, and on sending the Treaty of Antwerp to him, etc., 25 December 1585, his house in Seething Lane.

ff. 123r–124v: Original letter from Sir Christopher Wray (Lord Chief Justice) to Burghley, with his opinion on Mr Gardiner's ability to be Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, 27 December 1585, London.

ff. 125r–126v: Original letter from Walsingham to Burghley, with his judgement on restraining the Dutch trade into France, with the report of the mariners who have recently arrived from Lisbon, and a suit of the brewers to procure a release of their restraint, 15 January 1586.

ff. 127r–128v: Original letter from Leicester to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London, giving an account of his reception by the Dutch, and their affection to Elizabeth, 2 February 1586, the Hague.

ff. 129r–130v: Original letter from Sir William Pelham to Burghley, in great trouble over Elizabeth's displeasure, and that his debt to her might be resolved, 25 February [no year], Eathrope.

ff. 131r–132v: Original letter from Sir Edward Stafford to the Lords Lieutenant of the Council, under imprisonment for marrying Elizabeth's kinswoman, without date or place.

ff. 133r–144r is a modern list of contents, followed by another unfoliated list of contents.