BL Caligula, c. i, 125

BL MSS Cotton Caligula c. i, 125
Wright: Queen Elizabeth and her Times Vol 1, 1838, No. 136 Page 289
Sir Francis Knollys to Cecil, Bolton Castle, July 16 1568

Transcribed by Thomas Wright

We received your letter of the 12th herof, on Wednesday nyght very late, at Wharton, and we arryved here at Bolton Castle with this Quene yester nyght, one houre after sunne settyng. And since our departure from Carlylle with her, she hath ben very quyet, very tractable, and voyde of displesant countenance, altho she sayeth she woll not remove any furder into the realme without constraynt. The which removing woll easlier be done, if it be taken in hand by better personages than we are. There hath ben no repayre unto her by the waye, as myght have ben looked for ; the which repayre was abrydged by our sharp dealyng with one Kristofer Lassells (1), coming to Carlylle out of Yorkshire about three wekes past, of purpose to see this Quene, and because we understood hym to be a lewd practiser and arrogant papist, and also to have ben afore tyme in displeasure for practising with this Quene, therefore, after that he had confessed that he came of purpose to see the Quene, dwelling in Yorkshire, and that he had ben in trouble for her cause ; we first declared unto hym that no subject of the Quene's Hyghnes ought to honor another prynce with his presence in form of visitation or welcoming the same, without commission or conduction of some of his superiors, and then we chose this yll man to disgrace for an example, in this sorte : We appoynted Mr. Morton to return with hym to his lodgyng, and to accompany hym untyll he had made hym ready to ryde with spede, and had seen hym out of the towne gates homewardes agayne, without seeing of this Quene as his intent was.
This house (2) appereth to be very strong, very fayer, and verie stately, after the oulde manner of byldyng, and is the hyghest walled house that I have seen, and hath but one entrance there into. And half the number of these soldiers may better watche and warde the same, than the whole number therof could do Carlyll Castle, where Mr. Reade and his soldiers and Mr. Morton and Mr. Wilford toke great paynes, and my Lorde Scrope also was a late watcher. The band was divided into five partes, so that the watche and wards came aboute every fifth nyght and every fifth daye, of the which watche and wards we had five governors ; the first was Mr. Reade, and Wyllyam Knollys for his learning accompanyed hym, the second was Mr. Morton, the third was Mr. Wylford, the fourthe was Barrett, Mr. Reade's lieutenant, and the fifth was Weste, his ansygne-bearer, a verie sufficient and carefull man also. This Quene's chamber at Carlyll had a wyndow lokyng oute towardes Skotland, the barrs wherof being filed asonder, oute of the same she myght have ben lett downe, and then she had playne grounds before her to pass into Skotland. But nere unto the same wyndow we founde an olde postern doore, that was dammed upp with a ramper of earth of the inner syde, of twenty foot broade and thirty foot deepe, betweene two walls ; for the comoditie of which postern for our sallie to that wyndow wyth readye watche and warde, we dyd cutt into that rampier in forme of stayre with a turning aboute downe to the sayde postern, and so opened the same, without the which devise we coulde not have watched and warded this Quene there so safely as we dyd. Altho there was another wyndow of her chamber for passing into an orchard within the towne wall, and so to have slipped over the towne wall, that was very dangerous, but these matters I can better tell you at my return, uppon a rude platte that I have made therof.
Nowe if you lyke well of our removing of this Quene hither, then I pray you consyder that your cold assistance in backing of us to the acheving of this enterprise that had so many difficulties therin, is worthie of no praise at all ; but altho a foolle's bolt be soone shotte, yet I dare not tell you all that I think herin.
Nowe I trust you will returne me home forthwith, because I see no reason nor grounds of my staying here any longer ; for as touchyng the defraying of the charges, Vernone the clarke here being a suffycient carefull and honest man, having his proportion sett downe almost certayne, (which wol be partly abrydged by my departing hence,) woll easily discharge his duty in that behalfe. And so I praye your helpe, that eyther I maye serve as a cypher in agryme (3) at the courte, I mean to occupie a place there, or that I may be dismissed to the cart, which is fitter for me. And thus, with my Lorde Scrope's hartie commendations and myn, I shall commytt you to God. From Bolton Castle, the 16th of Julie, 1568. Yours assured,

F. Knollys

Postscript. The charges of removing of this Quene hither was somewhat the larger because we were dryven to hyre four lyttle carrs, and twenty carriage horses, and twenty-thre sadle horses for her women and men ; the which was well accomplished upon the sodayne, to her commoditie and satisfaction.

(1) There were several branches of the Lascelles settled in Yorkshire. This was probably Christopher Lascelles, of Brackenburgh. Among the examinations concerning the conspiracy of the Duke of Norfolk, we find this "Christopher Lassells" as a person in whom the Queen should "beware how she trusted."
(2) Bolton Castle was a house of Lord Scrope's.
(3) Algorithm, the old name for Arithmetic.