Calais in the Hands of the English. 22 Jul 1543. The Journeys and Viogies of the King's Majesty's army, and the feats by the same achieved and done.

The whole host departed out of Calais upun Sunday the twenty-second day of Julye, at iiij of the clok at afternone, and campid the same night without the walles of the towne in the feldes. Uppon the Monday the xxiij day of Jully, in the morninge, they wente towardes Sir John Wallope (age 53) meeting them, and so marched to Lanerton, beinge within the French palle ; and there mete with the lord Greay, capitayne of Hames castill, and ther birnt Lanerton, with the nomber of iij c. howses, and Campfer with Finies mylle, otherwise called a castill ; and after the abbey of Bewliew, and so went to Finies towne that night, and ther camped. And upon Tewisday, the marshall the same morninge went with sertayne gentillemen and other soldeardes unto iij pilles¹ called Ratton, Abrilton, and Rensam, and the same birnt also, and birnt dyvers vilages, and certayne howses in Mergison, and within iij milles compase of Bolloigne. The said army marchid forward unto the abbey of Lyquies, six mylles from Fynies, spoylinge and birning all the way they wente, untill they came unto the abbey aforesaid, to the which they came at ij of the cloke at afternone ; and the said abbey was imediately delyvered up unto them, wherein was xij Frenchmen, and a monke called doctor Driw, which afterwardes folowid the clarkes, being bond with bondes. And upon Wediiisday the xxv day of Julye, they campid that night, to the intent that the cheyfteayne before his departure wolde se the said abbey as well bernte, as also the walles razed downe to the hard grownde with gonpowder, which was donne. And upon the same daye ther came to us two thowsande fotemen of Burgonyones and ij thowsande of horsmen.

And upon Thursday, the xxvj day of Jully, the said army departed from Lysquies and marchid unto the vilage and castill of Awlkinges, and ther campid, and ther lay all night, and ther were two laromes.

And upon Friday, the xxvij of July, departinge from thence, bernte the towne and the castill, and the castill was razed downe at Whitsontide laste paste by the Burgonyones ; and so departinge razed downe the great tower that was standing with gonpowder, and all the reaste burnt to peeces. And so marchid the said day from thence to Hawlinge, two mylles from Sante Homers, and ther lay Saturday the xxviij day of Jully.

Upon Sonday, the xxix day, from Hawlinge to Otingall, ij mylles from Twrwin, and ther did the northern men, with other of the kinges men, ridde vmder the walles of Twrwin, and skirmyshed with the Frenchmen, and one Dasser killed one of the Frenchmen's horse with his bowe, and hurte was donne on bothe parties. And after our comynge into the

campe, om* cheiftayne seat up to the capteayiie of Torwin a letter, requiringe him that vj men of armes, beinge gentillmen, might runne with six gentillmen of our army for life and dethe ; to the which answere was made in the morninge, that he wolde sende vj gentillmen of armes to runne, and X gentillmen armid to keepe them compayney, at ix of the cloke. Upon that ther was sertayne appoynted to furnishe them to do that enterprise, which wher of ower partie master Charrlles Hawward, master Peter Carew, master Henry Markham, master Shelley of Calleyes, master Callverley, and master Hall. And of ther parte was like nomber of gentilmen, which ech other met \\'ithout the towne at the hower appoynted, and ther ranne one with another two coursies and brake ther staves valiantly. And ther was hurte on ower partie master Calverley, and he brake ij speres on him that hurt him in the hed to the deathe. and master Markham did hurt one of the gentillmen also. And the same tyme ther wher iij browght from Boloigne by a trumpet to the campe, and ther delyvered. After this donne the army marchid forward toward an olde castill called Lyvters, beinge distroyed by the Frenchmen, which is within two legies of Turwin, wher the army camped Monday the xxx'" July, all the day, and upon Tewsday the xxxj'' of July the said army marchid from the said campe of Livters to the cam[p]e of Alwines, one myle from Ayre, and ther we had ij laromes, and lay ther all that night ; and upon Wedinsday, the first of Auguste, the said army marchid from thence to the campe adjoyninge unto the castill of Erewyn next unto Rusher, and ther laye alle night. And upon Thursday the seconde day of August the said army marchid from thence unto the campe of Varkingnowghe a niylle from EtwajTie, and ther lay Friday and Saturdaye all daye. And upon the same Saturday afternoone came into the campe the countes of Pavoy, basse dowghter

(Here the MS. abruptly breaks off.)

Note 1. piles or fortified towers.

Letters of the Court of James I 1613 Reverend Thomas Lorkin to Sir Thomas Puckering Baronet 22 Jul 1613. 22 Jul 1613. London. Reverend Thomas Lorkin to Thomas Puckering 1st Baronet (age 21).

In this absence of the court, his majesty being now in progress, I find it [so much lost] time here, as were it not rather out of a will I have to keep my custom of writing weekly, than any store of matter I meet with, to furnish out a just letter, I should altogether rest silent for the present, having no further subject than to let you understand how, upon Saturday last, one Talbot, an Irish doctor in the civil law, was committed prisoner to the Tower [Map], for some bad practices of his in Ireland apon that late dissen- sion which there happened between the English and Irish, touching the choice of a speaker. Though I hear he hath thereunto added this further offence, that being the same day of his imprisonment sent for by the king and [the council], and asked whether he thought it lawful upon any occasion whatsoever, and upon [any cause] to kill, or otherwise consent to the killing of his sovereign? answered, that he held no warrant sufficient for so vile an act. But being thereupon [asked a second] time whether he held it lawful for the subject to depose his prince? made answer in the affirmative, in his majesty's own presence; which is like to aggravate [those] that are against him, whereof I cannot yet learn the particulars.

David Ramsay is a great suitor to be captain of a company in the Low Countries, but withal that his debts may be charged and paid here. In the former, he may haply find good success; but he is like to meet with some difficulty in the latter, the rather for that the king's wants are great at this present.

Sandilands hath been offered a place of equerryship to the prince, and, as is said, refusedi it; but he may wait longer, and succeed worse.

Mr. Csesar (age 23) hath this last act at Oxford taken the degree of doctor in the civil law, that he might not any longer anticipate so reverend a title. He now holdeth lumself a knight's fellow at least, and that upon sure ground of yea, though his father's condition should nothing advantage him; which I therefore write, that you may see that, howsoever the quintessence of vnts reside chiefly in your quarter, we are not so barren here, but that we can find men capable of sch[olastic] dignities.

Pepy's Diary. 22 Jul 1663. Thence to my Lord Crew's. My Lord not being come home, I met and staid below with Captain Ferrers, who was come to wait upon my Lady Jemimah to St. James's, she being one of the four ladies that hold up the mantle at the christening this afternoon of the Duke's (age 29) child (a boy). In discourse of the ladies at Court, Captain Ferrers tells me that my Baroness Castlemaine's (age 22) is now as great again as ever she was; and that her going away was only a fit of her own upon some slighting words of the King (age 33), so that she called for her coach at a quarter of an hour's warning, and went to Richmond; and the King (age 33) the next morning, under pretence of going a-hunting, went to see her and make friends, and never was a-hunting at all. After which she came back to Court, and commands the King (age 33) as much as ever, and hath and doth what she will. No longer ago than last night, there was a private entertainment made for the King (age 33) and Queen (age 24) at the Duke of Buckingham's (age 35), and she: was not invited: but being at my Lady Suffolk's (age 41), her aunt's (where my Lady Jemimah and Lord Sandwich (age 37) dined) yesterday, she was heard to say, "Well; much good may it do them, and for all that I will be as merry as they:" and so she went home and caused a great supper to be prepared. And after the King (age 33) had been with the Queen (age 24) at Wallingford House, he came to my Baroness Castlemaine's (age 22), and was there all night, and my Lord Sandwich (age 37) with him, which was the reason my Lord lay in town all night, which he has not done a great while before. He tells me he believes that, as soon as the King (age 33) can get a husband for Mrs. Stewart (age 16) however, my Baroness Castlemaine's (age 22) nose will be out of joynt; for that she comes to be in great esteem, and is more handsome than she. I found by his words that my Lord Sandwich (age 37) finds some pleasure in the country where he now is, whether he means one of the daughters of the house or no I know not, but hope the contrary, that he thinks he is very well pleased with staying there, but yet upon breaking up of the Parliament, which the King (age 33) by a message to-day says shall be on Monday next, he resolves to go.

Pepy's Diary. 22 Jul 1667. So up to my Chancellor's (age 58), where was a Committee of Tangier in my Lord's roome, where he is to hear causes, where all the judges' pictures hang up, very fine. Here I read my letter to them, which was well received, and they did fall seriously to discourse the want of money and other particulars, and to some pretty good purpose. But to see how Sir W. Coventry (age 39) did oppose both my Chancellor (age 58) and the Duke of York (age 33) himself, about the Order of the Commissioners of the Treasury to me for not paying of pensions, and with so much reason, and eloquence so natural, was admirable. And another thing, about his pressing for the reduction of the charge of Tangier, which they would have put off to another time; "But", says he, "the King (age 37) suffers so much by the putting off of the consideration of reductions of charge, that he is undone; and therefore I do pray you, sir, to his Royal Highness, that when any thing offers of the kind, you will not let it escape you". Here was a great bundle of letters brought hither, sent up from sea, from a vessel of ours that hath taken them after they had been flung over by a Dutchman; wherein, among others, the Duke of York (age 33) did read the superscription of one to De Witt, thus "To the most wise, foreseeing and discreet, These, &c."; which, I thought with myself, I could have been glad might have been duly directed to any one of them at the table, though the greatest men in this kingdom. The Duke of York (age 33), the Chancellor (age 58), my Lord Duke of Albemarle (age 58), Arlington, Ashley, Peterborough, and Coventry (the best of them all for parts), I perceive they do all profess their expectation of a peace, and that suddenly, and do advise of things accordingly, and do all speak of it (and expressly, I remember, the Duke of Albemarle (age 58)), saying that they hoped for it. Letters were read at the table from Tangier that Guiland is wholly lost, and that he do offer Arzill to us to deliver it to us. But Sir W. Coventry (age 39) did declare his opinion that we should have nothing to do with it, and said that if Tangier were offered us now, as the King's condition is, he would advise against the taking it; saying, that the King's charge is too great, and must be brought down, it being, like the fire of this City, never to be mastered till you have brought it under you; and that these places abroad are but so much charge to the King (age 37), and we do rather hitherto strive to greaten them than lessen them; and then the King (age 37) is forced to part with them, "as", says he, "he did with Dunkirke", by my Lord Tiviott's making it so chargeable to the King (age 37) as he did that, and would have done Tangier, if he had lived: I perceive he is the only man that do seek the King's profit, and is bold to deliver what he thinks on every occasion. Having broke up here, I away with Mr. Gawden in his coach to the 'Change [Map], and there a little, and then home and dined, and then to the office, and by and by with my wife to White Hall (she to Unthanke's), and there met Creed and did a little business at the Treasury chamber, and then to walk in Westminster Hall [Map] an hour or two, with much pleasure reflecting upon our discourse to-day at the Tangier meeting, and crying up the worth of Sir W. Coventry (age 39). Creed tells me of the fray between the Duke of Buckingham (age 39) at the Duke's playhouse the last Saturday (and it is the first day I have heard that they have acted at either the King's or Duke's houses this month or six weeks) and Henry Killigrew (age 30), whom the Duke of Buckingham (age 39) did soundly beat and take away his sword, and make a fool of, till the fellow prayed him to spare his life; and I am glad of it; for it seems in this business the Duke of Buckingham (age 39) did carry himself very innocently and well, and I wish he had paid this fellow's coat well. I heard something of this at the 'Change [Map] to-day: and it is pretty to hear how people do speak kindly of the Duke of Buckingham (age 39), as one that will enquire into faults; and therefore they do mightily favour him. And it puts me in mind that, this afternoon, Billing (age 44), the Quaker, meeting me in the Hall, come to me, and after a little discourse did say, "Well", says he, "now you will be all called to an account"; meaning the Parliament is drawing near. This done I took coach and took up my wife, and so home, and after a little at the office I home to my chamber a while, and then to supper and to bed.