Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 1.djvu/479

 n B. i. JUNE 11, mo.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

471

Catholic stile, as you will me to, and as hereafter I intend to follow."

VI. 30 April, 1588. He reached Spain from Florence 10 April, and after one day's rest went to Lisbon, " there to see this puissant and mighty army [the Armada], so long a preparing."

" Yesterday I came back again full weary. . . . which I no whit repent myself of, having had the sight of that, which by no Letters, or other relation, I could have been so satisfied, and knowing also how desirous you are to have the meer truth, also for the content you are to receive of the coming of these Forces, which may procure some hope to us, and our Catholic Brethren. I pray God it be not with the ruin of the Realm .... I have seen the most part of the Vessels in passing good order," &c.

" On Sunday the 24th the Cardinal of Austria, after a Solemn Mass in the Cathe: Church, said certain Prayers and blessed the Royal Standard, which being done, it was born^ before the Duke of Medina Sidonia to the Ship, at whose entry therewith, all the Navy made a Notable Salve of Artillery, and to-morrow, which is the Apostles' day, they are to spread Sails to the wind ; here, and thro' all Spain, are continual Prayers, and general processions, and the blessed Sacrament daily abroad in every Church, the like I hear is done at Rome. You there, I doubt not, will assist also with your Prayers, that it may please God to appease his Ire, and grant us union in his true Catho: and Roman Religion .... I hope by the end of June to be back again, and then to find there some of your letters. '

VII. 28 May, 1588.

" I judge this Navy (now in readiness under the Castle of Belem, expecting wind to set sail) may be in your Quarters before these come to your hands, yet would I omit no occasion to write, saying that heretofore I was in the number of the Incredulous, yet now being in Place where I may hear and see, I confess to be in the wrong, for now I am out of doubt they will in very deed that way, so that the Lightning and Thunder Clap will be both in a moment. From Dunkirk is lately come to Lisbon a small ship with good speed, having passed in seven days. She bringeth from the Duke of Parma certain Pilots for the conduct of this army, and saith that upon all the Coast of our Land, she never saw one Sail, and farther avoweth that the said Duke much solici- teth the departure of the said Armada."

" About 16 months agone was taken a youth entring Spain out of France, about Fontarabia, who hath given out his Person to be begotten between our Queen and the Earl of Leicester, born at Hampton Court, and forthwith by the elder Asheley delivered into the hands of one Southorne, then Servant to Mrs. Asheley, with charge, upon pain ot Death, that the said South- orne should not reveal the matter ; but bring it up, who brought the Babe to a Miller's Wife of Moulsey, to give it suck, and afterwards the said Southorne going into his Country, which was Wurcester or Shropshire, carried with him the Child, and there brought it up, in Learning and Qualities ; in the end, discovering to this Youth the whole Secret, he took a flight over Seas, where many years he hath remained, untill his

coming hither, his name is Arthur, and of 27 years of age or thereabout ; this forsooth is his saying, and taketh upon him like to the man he pre- tendeth to be, whereupon he wanteth no keepers, and is very solemnly warded, and served with an expence to this King of 6 crowns a day. If I had mine Alphabet, I would say more touching his lewd speeches, and if I may I will do him pleasure, specially if I be called to account about him, as it is told me, I shall shortly be, the King being in- formed that about that time, I served in court, whereby I may say somewhat to this matter. Here in this Town and Coiintry are great Prayers, Processions, Fastings, and Alms, for the happy success of this Armada in this Cause of God, now more than ever in hand. I hope you there will join with us here in heart and spirit in such sort as once we may meet at home with the sure enjoying of the true Catholic Religion in our Country, whereof w T e may now the better hope, seeing our Queen is said here' to have sent Batson the Jesuit to Rome about overture with his Holiness to be reconciled, which God grant and always preserve you."

The Armada set sail 29 May, the day after this letter.

The last reference I can find to Sir Anthony Standen is the one mentioned by MB. WAINE- WBIGHT under date 28 July, 1605, when, in a letter to Sir Thomas Lake, he speaks of going to France.

In the brothers' petition for arrears of pensions (1603) it is mentioned that they went into Scotland with Margaret, Countess of Lennox. CHB. WATSON.

294, Worple Road, Wimbledon.

Four letters written from Florence by Sir Anthony Standen are recorded in the them are addressed to the Archbishop of Glasgow, and the other two to Mary, Queen of Scots. These letters are referred to in Nau's ' History of Mary Stuart,' edited by Stevenson, in Labanoff's ' Lettres de Marie Stuart, 1 vol. vii., and in Petit's * History of Mary Stuart, 1 vol. ii. p. 18. The historians, however, add nothing to the information con- tained in MB. WAINEWKIGHT'S query. The petition of Sir Anthony and his brother, as well as the narrative of the former, claiming to have saved Queen Mary's life, will be found in the ' Calendar of State Papers, Domestic, 1 603-1 0.' From his own account it would appear that Sir Anthony partici- pated in the murder of Rizzio. The circum- stance of his imprisonment in the Tower, arising seemingly out of an intercepted letter to Parsons the Jesuit, may be gathered from the ' Calendar of State Papers, Domes- tic,* under 1604. In the following year a letter, dated from Crutched Friars, shows that he had been set at liberty previous to 28 July, 1605.
 * Calendar of State Papers,' vol. ii. Two of