land [from William the Conqueror to Edward the fourth, and intended to descend to Elizabeth.]" To the genealogy of queen Anne, which is very copious, are prefixed: 66 Certayne breefe Notes of the Families of the three Electors." "An Abstract of the Genealogie of Denmarke, shewinge how many tymes Henrie Prince of Great Britaine is descended from Christianus I. King of Denmarke." "An Abstract of the Genealogie of Muscovia, shewinge how many tymes Anne Queene of Great Britaine is descended from Lemovitus Duke of Plocor4, in Muscovia, and how thereby she stands in Degrees of Kindred with the House of Austria." "An Abstract of a Genealogie showinge how Anne Queen of Great Brittaine stands in Degree of Kindred unto Henry IV. Kinge of Fraunce." "An Abstract of a Petigree shewinge how Anne Queene of Great Brittaine and the four Electors are from Cassimirus King of Polonia5, and how neere by that meanes they stand in Degrees of Kindred one to another." "An Abstract of a Petigree shewinge how neare in kindred Anne Queene of Great Brittayne is unto the two Electors of Saxony and Brandenburge." "A Genealogie of all the Heyres Males that had yssu in the House of the Dukes of Saxony, Lusatia, Angria, and Westphalia." Qu. Pleskow? i. e. Poland. "A Genealogie of the Heyres Males that had yssu of the House of the Dukes of Mecleburge." (The genealogies then proceed to one hundred and eighty-three quarto leaves.) His lordship's "Preface" to Queen Catharine Parr's Lamentation, has been already noticed at page 61. Among many of his letters in the Talbot papers selected and published by Mr. Lodge, there is one by lord Burleigh on a proposal of marriage between his daughter and the son of lord Shrewsbury, which displays such extreme caution and sagacity, as its judicious editor remarks, that it renders the epistle a most curious and interesting relic. Lord Burleigh to the earl of Shrewsbury. "My very good lord, My most harty and dew comendasions doon, I can not sufficiently express in words the inward harty affection that I conceave by your lordships frendly offer of the mariadge of your younger son, and that in such a frendly sort by your own lettre, and, as your lordship wryteth, the same proceding of yourself. Now, my lord, as I thynk myself much beholdyng to yow for this your lordships kindnes, and manifest argument of a faythefull good will; so must I pray your lordship to accept myn answer, with assured opinion of my contynuance in the same towards your lordship. • Edward, the earl's fourth son. The young lady was Elizabeth, youngest daughter of lord Burleigh by his second wife: she married William eldest son of lord Wentworth, and died before her father. Lodge's Illustr. vol. ii. p. 131. "Ther ar specially ii causes why I do not in playn termes consent by waye of conclusion hereto. The one, for that my doughter is but yong in yeres; and uppon some resonable respects, I have determyned (notwithstandyng I have bene very honorably offred matches) not to treat of maryeng of hir, if I may lyve so long, untill she shall be above xv or xvi; and if I war of more lykloode myself to lyve longar than I look to do, she shold not, with my lykyng, be marryed before she war neare xviii or xx. The second cause why I differ to yeld to conclusion with your lordship, is grounded uppon such a consideration as (if it war not truly to satisfye your lordship and to avoyd a just offence which your lordship might conceave of my forbearing), I wold not by wrytyng or messadg utter, but only by speche to your lordship's self. My lord, it is over trew and over much ageynst reason, that uppon my being at Buckstons last, avantage was sought by some that loved me not, to confirm in hir majesty a former concept which had bene labored to put into hir head, that I was of late tyme become frendly to the queen of Scotts, and that I had no disposition to encounter hir practisses; and now, at my being at Buckstons 5, hir majesty did directly conceave that my being ther was, by meanes of your lordship. and my lady, to enter into intelligence with the queen of Scotts and herof at my retorn to hir majesty's 5 From the accidental circumstance of having seen the queen of Scots at Buxton, lord Leicester is said to have insinuated that Burleigh had entered into a design in her favour. See Stuart's Hist. of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 152. presence I had very sharp reproves for my going to Buckstons, with playne charging of me for favoryng the queen of Scotts; and that in so ernest a sort as I never looked for, knowyng my integrité to her majesty; but, specially knowyng how contrariously the queen of Scotts conceaved of me, for many thyngs to the offence of the queen of Scotts. And yet, trew it is, I never in dede gave just cause by any privat affection of my own, or for myself, to offend the queen of Scotts: but what so ever I did, was for the service of myn own soverayn lady and quene, which if it war yet ageyn to be doone, I wold do. And though I know myself subject to contrary workyns of displesure, yet will I not, for remedy of any of them both, declyne from the duty I owe to God, and my soverayn quene: for I know, and do understand, that I am in this contrary sort maliciously depraved, and yet in secret sort on the one part, and that of long tyme, that I am the most dangerous ennemy and evill-willer to the queen of Scotts; on the other syde, that I am also a secrett well-willer to hir and hir title, and that I have made my party good with her. Now, my lord, no man can make both these true together; but it suffiseth for such as lyke not me in doyng my duty to deprave me, and yet in such sort is doone in darknes, as I cannot get oportunité to convynce them in the light. In all these crossyngs, my good lord, I appeale to God, who knoweth, yea (I thank hym infinitely) who directeth my thoughts to intend principally the service and honor of God, and joyntly with that, the surety and gretnes of my soverayn lady the quenes majesty; and for any other respect but that may tend to those two, I appeale to God to punish me if I have any. As for the queen of Scotts, truly I have no spott of evill meaning to hir; nether do I meane to deale with any tytles to the crown: if she shall intend any evill to the quenes majesty my soverayn, for hir sake I must and will meane to impeach hir; and therin I may be hir unfrend or worse. "Well now, my good lord, your lordship seeth I have made a long digression from my answer; but I trust your lordship can considre what moveth me thus to digress. Surely it behoveth me not only to lyve uprightly, but to avoyd all probable arguments that may be gathered to render me suspected to hir majesty, whom I serve with all dutyfullnes and syncerity; and therfor I gather this, that if it were understood that ther war a communication, or a purpooss of a maryadge betwene your lordshipe's son and my doughter, I am sure ther wold be an avantage sought to incress these formar suspicions, consideryng the yong yeres of our twoo children. As, if the matter war fully agreed betwixt us, the parents, the mariadg cold not take effect; I thynk it best to referr the motion in silence, and yet so to ordre it with ourselves, that whan tyme shall herafter be more convenient, we may (and then also with lesse cause of vayne suspicion) renew it. "And, in the meane tyme, I must confess myself much bounden to your lordship for your goodnes; wishing your lordships son all the good education that may be mete to teach hym to feare God, love your lordship his naturall father, and to know his friends; FA |