Add MS 38137

LETTER-BOOK Of Sir Henry Unton as Ambassador to France, comprising copies of his instructions and his correspondence with Queen Elizabeth, Burghley, Essex, Hatton, Sir Robert Cecil, the Lords of the Council, etc., together with copies of the various enclosures; 25 June, 1591-12 June, 1592. One document (f. 43) is in Unton's atitograph (cf. Lansdowne MS. 68, f. 216), the rest are in two clerkly hands. At f. 6 is a cypher key, dated 25 July, 1591. With a few exceptions, the documents are all printed in the Correspondence of Sir H. Unton, ed. J. Stevenson, Roxburghe Club, 1847, partly from the originals in the Public Record Office or in the burnt Cotton MS. Caligula E. viii, but mainly from a somewhat faulty transcript in the Bodleian Library (No. 3498). The exceptions are: (i) Lord Treasurer Burghley to Unton, on the Queen's displeasure with the French King, etc.; Richmond, 12 Oct. 1591 [the original, damaged by fire, is in Calig. E. viii, f. 37]. f. 30b; (ii) "The cheife pointes of the contract beetweene the French Kinge and the Prynces of Germany vppon the leavye made of the army vnder the conduct of the Prynee Anhalte, anno 1591." Dal. f. 43; (iii) "From the Counte Soissons," Charles de Bourbon, to Unton; St. Leuer, 12 Dec. 1591. Fr. f. 61 ; (iv) "The kinges [Henri IV] replye to the Reyters answeare of his first proposition concerning their paie": the "Articles presentes par les Collonens et Reitmaistres de l'Armée Allemande," 12 Dec. (O.S.) 1591, with the King's reply to each article, "faict au Camp deuant Rouen," 4 Jan. 1592. Fr. f. 82 b; (v) Unton to Sir Robert Cecil, telling how he has been robbed of all his money and apparel ; Poix, 19 Jan. 1591[2]. f. 90b. At the end of the volume, in different hands, are copies of the following: (a) Queen Elizabeth's letter to Lady Norris on the death of her son Sir John Norris; Richmond, 22 Sept. 1597 (printed in Nichols, -Progresses of Qu. Eliz., iii, 1823, p. 420). f. 160 ; (b) "To M^r Anthonie Bacon. An apologie of [Robert Devereux] the Earle of Essex againste those which falslie and maliciouslie take him to be the onelie hindraunce of the peace and quiet of his Countrie." Composed by himself in 1598, and printed in 1600, but immediately suppressed (T. Birch, Memoirs of Qu. Eliz., ii, 1754, p. 444); afterwards published in 1603, and again in 1729 as The Earl of Essex's Vindication of the War with Spain. Other copies are in Stowe MS.

275, Sloane MS. 1132, etc. f. 161 ; (c) Letter of advice [to Roger Manners, 5th Earl of Rutland,] on the use of travel as a means of self-culture; left unfinished. In the printed edition, Profitable Instructions, 1633, and in three other copies (Harley MSS. 813, f. 7, 4888, f. 20, 6265, f. 115), it is dated Greenwich, 4 Jan. 1596, and attributed to Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. The actual author, however, was probably Francis Bacon (see his Works, ed. Spedding, ix, 1862, pp. 3-15). f. 173. Paper; ff. iii + 174. 13 3/4 in. x 8 3/4 in. On f. iii, "Ol : Luke. 1679. December 8" [Oliver, son of Sir Samuel Luke, of Cople, co. Bedf., b. 1626, d. 1708, see Coll. Top. et Gen., iii, 1836, p. 85, v, 1838, p. 364]. Afterwards belonged successively to Benjamin Heywood Bright (sale-cat. 1844, lot 263) and Sir. Thomas Phillipps (No. 11774, salecat. 1911, lot 1043).

Sir Henry Unton: Letter-book, while Ambassador in France: 1591-1592.

Henry IV of France: Letter-book of Sir H. Unton, English Ambassador in France: 1591-1592.

Sir William Cecil, Baron Burghley 1571; Lord Treasurer 1572: Correspondence with Sir H. Unton: 1591-1592.: Copies.

includes:

• f. 1 Elizabeth I of England: Instructions to Sir H. Unton as Ambassador to France: 1591.: Copy.
• f. 6 Cyphers: Cypher-key of Sir H. Unton, Ambassador in France: 1591.
• ff. 8, 11, 15 Edward Grimston: Correspondence with Sir H. Unton: 1591.: Copies.
• f. 9 William Brooke, 7th Baron Cobham: Letter to, from Sir H. Unton: 1591.: Copy.
• ff. 9-55 passim Sir Christopher Hatton, Lord Chancellor: Correspondence with Sir H. Unton: 1591.: Copies.
• ff. 9 b, 63 Sir John Fortescue, Chancellor of the Exchequer: Correspondence with Sir H. Unton: 1591.: Copies.
• f. 13 Henry IV of France: Letter to Sir H. Unton: 1591.: Fr.: Copy.
• ff. 14-154 passim Elizabeth I of England: Correspondence with Sir H. Unton: 1591, 1592.: Copies.
• ff. 16 b, 17, 64 Elizabeth I of England: Letters to Henry IV of France: 1591.: Fr.: Copies.
• ff. 16 b, 17, 64 Henry IV of France: Letters to, from Qu. Elizabeth: 1591.: Fr.: Copies.
• ff. 22, 24 b Sir Thomas Leighton, Governor of Guernsey and Jersey: Correspondence with the Privy Council: 1591.: Copies.
• ff. 22, 24 b Henry Killigrew: Correspondence with the Privy Council: 1591.: Copies.
• ff. 22, 24 b, 96, 156 Privy Council, The: Correspondence with Sir H. Unton, Sir T. Leighton, and H. Killigrew: 1591-1592.: Copies.
• f. 24 Henry Killigrew: Letter to, from Qu. Elizabeth: 1591.: Copy.
• f. 24 Elizabeth I of England: Letter to Sir T. Leighton and H Killigrew: 1591.: Copy.
• ff. 24, 46 b Sir Thomas Leighton, Governor of Guernsey and Jersey: Letters to, from Qu. Elizabeth: 1591.: Copies.
• ff. 38-159 passim Sir Robert Cecil, Baron Cecil of Essendon 1603; Viscount Cranborne 1604, Earl of Salisbury 1605; Secretary of State: Correspondence with Sir. Unton: 1591-2.: Copies.
• ff. 41 b, 42, 68 Elizabeth I of England: Letters to the Prince of Anhalt: 1591.: Lat. and Fr.: Copies.
• ff. 41 b, 42, 68 Prince of Anhalt[-Bernberg]: Christian I. Letters to, from Qu. Elizabeth: 1591.: Lat. and Fr.: Copies.
• f. 43 Henry IV of France: Chief points of his contract with the German Princes touching the Prince of Anhalt's command: 1591.: Ital.
• f. 43 Prince of Anhalt[-Bernberg]: Articles touching his command in France: 1591.: Ital.
• f. 46 b Elizabeth I of England: Letter to Sir T. Leighton: 1591.: Copy.
• f. 47 Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex: The Queen's reasons for revoking his command in Normandy: [1591).
• ff. 55-139 passim Sir Thomas Heneage, Vice Chamberlain to the Queen: Correspondence with Sir H. Unton: 1591-2.: Copies.
• ff. 57 b-138 b passim Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex: Correspondence with Sir H. Unton: 1591-2.: Copies.
• f. 61 Charles de Bourbon, Comte de Soissons: Letter to Sir H. Unton: 1591.: Fr.: Copy.
• ff. 78, 78 b, 82 b Henry IV of France: Negotiations touching the payment of the German troops: 1591.: Fr.
• ff. 127 b, 137 b Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham: Correspondence with Sir H. Unton: 1592.: Copies.
• f. 137 Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon: Letter to Sir H. Unton: 1592.: Copy.
• f. 160 Elizabeth I of England: Letter to Lady Norris on the death of her son: 1597.: Copy.
• f. 160 Sir John Norris: Letter of Qu. Elizabeth on the death of: 1597.: Copy.
• f. 161 Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex: Apology for the war with Spain: 1598.
• f. 161 Anthony Bacon: Apology of Lord Essex addressed to: 1598.
• f. 173 Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex: Letter on travel, attrib. to,: 1596.: Copy imperf.
• f. 173 Francis Bacon, Viscount St Albans: Letter by(?), on travel: 1596.: Copy. Imperf.
• f. 173 Travel: Letter of advice on: 1596.
• f. 173 Roger Manners, 5th earl of Rutland: Letter to, of advice on travel: 1596.