QUEEN ELIZABETH TO THE EARL OF SUSSEX.

BY THE QUENE.

[August, 1570]

      Right trustie and right well beloved cousin, we grete you well. We have seen your several letters to our Secretary of the 4th and 6th of this moneth, and with them the copyes of sundry letters sent from Levinston, Lyddington, Randolph, and the Regent, and your answers to the same, and your furder directions that you have taken for the aide and relief of the party favorable to us, in all which we are right satisfied, as therin beholding the contynuance of your care and wisedom in our service. And amongst other things we have taken great pleasure to reader your answers to Lyddington, wherin, besides your other good gifts proper to a nobleman, and mete for the place that ye hold under us, we do certainly see such a sufficiency of wisdom mixt with good learning, as we are glad to thynk that Lyddington, who is accompted the flower of the witts in Scotland, shall see himself overmatched, and we surely judge uppon the matter much confounded, not onely with the truth, but with the sharp and good order of the explaining of the same. Truly, cousin, we have alwaies judged you wise, and we know you very sufficient for the place you hold, but we have not seen at any tyme a more absolute proof of your witt and learning, then in these your late answers to Lyddington, and we fynd all others that do reader the same to be of like opinion. For one matter, wherof you desire answer, which is, what assurance you shall require of the Duke and his partye for performance of the act wherof we accorded to the Bishop of Ross, upon consideration of your owne writing, doubting that they will not give hostage, we think it sufficient at this tyme to have their writings with their hands and seales, as Lyddington semeth to offer. But if there shal followe hereafter any argument for the Quene of Scotts, we must of necessitie then have hostages of good persons and some castels, either in our own possession, or the possession of such as shall be thought will alwayes depend upon us, and upon the yong King. And so we see yourself doth alwayes by your writing to Lyddington press, that the suretyes to be made for us must be of that nature, that they may be in our possession to command, and not depend at the pleasure of them from whom they shall procede. We are sorry that you could not have attempted the enterprise upon the west borders without money, wherof some portion is already upon the waye, and we wishe you could devise how to borow any furder somme there, to be repayd here at London, because that the cariage is so tedious and dilatory. And upon your letters and the Treasorer's bills, the same shal be payd.
      Given under our signet, at our manor of Cheneys, the 12th day of August, 1570, the 12th yere of our reigne.