[398] The following are a few specimens, copied from the Lansdowne catalogue. "Sir Antony Cooke to Sir William Cecil, that he would move Mr. Peters to recommend Mr. Edward Stanhope to a certain young lady of Mr. P.'s acquaintance, whom Mr. Stanhope was desirous to marry."--Jan. 25, 1563, lxxi. 73. "Sir John Mason to Sir William Cecil, that he fears his young landlord, Spelman, has intentions of turning him out of his house, which will be disagreeable; hopes therefore Sir William C. will speak in his behalf."--Feb. 4, 1566, _id._ 74. "Lord Stafford to Lord Burleigh, to further a match between a certain rich citizen's daughter and his son; he requests Lord B. to appoint the father to meet him (Lord Stafford) some day at his house, 'where I will in few words make him so reasonable an offer as I trust he will not disallow.'"--lxviii. 20. "Lady Zouch to Lord Burleigh, for his friendly interposition to reconcile Lord Zouch her husband, who had forsaken her through jealousy."--1593, lxxiv. 72. [399] _Biographia Britannica_, art. Cecil. [400] Townsend's manuscript has been separately published; but I do not find that D'Ewes has omitted anything of consequence. [401] D'Ewes, p. 82; Strype, i. 258, from which latter passage it seems that Cecil was rather adverse to the proposal. [402] D'Ewes, p. 85. The speech which Hume, on D'Ewes's authority, has put into the queen's mouth at the end of this session, is but an imperfect copy or abridgment of one which she made in 1566; as D'Ewes himself afterwards confesses. Her real answer to the speaker in 1563 is in Harrington's _Nugæ Antiquæ_, vol. i. p. 80. [403] Camden, p. 400. [404] The courtiers told the house, that the queen intended to marry in order to divert them from their request that they would name her successor. Strype, vol. i. p. 494. [405] D'Ewes, p. 128. [406] _Id._ p. 116; Journals, 8th Oct., 25th Nov., 2nd Jan. [407] D'Ewes, p. 141. [408] D'Ewes, 156, etc. There is no mention of Strickland's business in the journal. [409] Something of this sort seems to have occurred in the session of 1566, as may be inferred from the lord keeper's reproof to the speaker for calling her majesty's letters patent in question. _Id._ 115. [410] _Id._ 158; Journals, 7 Apr. [411] Journals, 9 and 10 Apr. [412] D'Ewes, 159. [413] D'Ewes, 151. [414] Bell, I suppose, had reconciled himself to the court, which would have approved no speaker chosen without its recommendation. There was always an understanding between this servant of the house and the government. Proofs and presumptions of this are not unfrequent. In Strype's _Annals_, vol. iv. p. 124, we find instructions for the speaker's speech in 1592, drawn up by Lord Burleigh, as might very likely be the case on other occasions. [415] D'Ewes, 219. [416] _Id._, 213, 214. [417] D'Ewes, 236. [418] D'Ewes, 260. [419] _Id._ 282. [420] D'Ewes, 410. [421] P. 438. Townsend calls this gentleman Davenport, which no doubt was his true name.