"Right Ho^e, oure humble dewties remeberd, &c., may yt please yo^r good Lpp. to be c'tified, that upon Tuesday morninge laste, being assembled for the choice of o^r Burgesses, Mr. George Belgrave p'sented himselfe amongest us, in a blewe coat w^{th} a bull head, affirminge and protestinge he was yo^r L[=p]'s s'[=v]t, and that S^r Henrie Harrington, verye late the night before, had obteyned that favour of yo^r ho^r in his behalfe; and muche bemoned his former undewtifull cariage towards yo^r L[=p], w^{th} a remorsive remembrance of many most ho. favours receaved from yo^r L[=p] and yo^r house, towards his auncestors, him, and his; and, recommendinge his former suite to be one of oure Burgesses, being demanded whether he had any letter from yo^r L[=p], answered, that this (poyntinge at his coat and cognizance) he hoped was a sufficient testimonie of y^r L[=p]'s favour towards him, and of his submission towards yo^r ho^r; and further, that it was so late before S^r Henrie cold [p=]cure yo^r L[=p]'s said favour, as that you cold not well write, and, for the truth of the [p=]mises, he offered his corporal oathe. Whereupon we, thinkinge all this to be true, made choyce of him, w^{th} Mr. Will[=m] Herricke, to be o^r Burgesses. And now, this evening, wee are credibly certified that y^r L[=p] hath geven him no suche entertaynem^t; and thus by his said lewde and most dishonest dealinge, being much abused, we thought it o^r dewties forthew^{th} to signifie the same unto yo^r L[=p], humbly cravinge yo^r L[=p]'s most ho^rable favor for some reformacon of this vile practize. And thus, w^{th} remembrance of oure dewties, wee humbly take o^r leaves. From Leic^r, this xx^{th} day of October, 1601. "Youre honor's most humble to co[=m]aunde, Signed by "Will[=m] ROWES, Maior, ROBERT HEYRICKE," And ten others. An angry and characteristic reply from the earl follows, but with which, as it is printed in Thompson's _History of Leicester_ (p. 318.), I will not trespass upon your valuable space. It may be sufficient to say, that he tells the mayor that-- "Notwithstanding this treacherous devise of that cunninge practisore, I feare it will appeare, upon due scanninge of this accydent, y^t there remaynes a false brother amongst you.... And as for y^e p'sone hymself whoe hathe thus shameleslye sought to dishonoure me and deceave you, I will, by the grace of God, take suche order as in honor and lawfullye I maye, bothe {572} for y^e better unfouldinge of this, as also for suche punnyshm^t as the law will inflict."