Master Carleton,

I wrote to you about the third or fourth of this present, and have now staide the longer to see yf this northeasterly wind wold have brought us any thing from you, or brought foorth any thing at home worth the sending: but we are still at the same stay as when I wrote you last and we are fed on from Sonday to Sonday with expectation from the court, wherewith I am so weary that I will not tarry nor trifle out the time any longer, but acquaint you with matters as they stand now, though yt be certainly thought we shall have some alteration on Sonday next.

The voyce ran all this weeke with Sir John FortescueChancellor of the Exchequer. The contest for Lord Treasurer eventually settled on Lord Buckhurst, who was appointed in May 1599. to be Lord Treasurer, but now yt is come about again to the Lord Buckhurst,Thomas Sackville, Lord Buckhurst, later first Earl of Dorset (1604). He was appointed Lord Treasurer in May 1599 and held the office until his death in 1608. and so every three or fowre dayes yt is tossed from the one side of the court to the other. The next new counsaillors are thought shalbe the Lord Mountjoye and the Lord Cheife Justice,Sir John Popham (c. 1531–1607), Lord Chief Justice since 1592. Chamberlain's remark about his haunting of whorehouses while persecuting prostitutes was a common piece of London gossip; Popham's moralistic severity on the bench was widely noted. who hath plaide rex of late among whoores and bawdes and persecutes poore pretty wenches out of all pittie and mercy. The court of wardes sitts still not for want of a master, and though the earle of Essex be alone in election yet there is still some rub in his way that he comes not on. Some say the Quene meanes to dissolve that court and in stead therof to raise a yearely contribution out of all landes in capite or knight service, which wold be more for her profit and lesse grevance to the subject, but that is too goode to be true. Others say he may have yt yf he will, but because there is a course spoken of somwhat to geld and curtall yt he refuseth to accept yt unles he may have yt whole and unmaimed. And others say he findes some scruple in the strictnes of the othe, and wonders how the late Lord TreasurerWilliam Cecil, Lord Burghley (1520–1598), who died 4 August 1598. See Letter 6. could dispense so easilie and so largely with yt and his conscience: but this were somwhat too pure and maidenlike or rather inutilis verecundia.

The state of Ireland growes dayly di mal in peggio, for they begin now to stirre in the province of Munster, where the white knight,Edmund Fitzgibbon (d. c. 1600), hereditary White Knight of County Cork, a title held in the Fitzgibbon family. He supported the Munster rebellion during the Nine Years' War. Sir James of DesmondJames Fitzthomas Fitzgerald (d. 1607), grandson of the fourteenth Earl of Desmond. In 1598 he assumed the title of Earl of Desmond and put himself at the head of a force of approximately 8,000 clansmen. (Cal. S. P. Ireland, 1598–1599, p. 499.) and one Patricke Condon a shrewd fellow are out. Sir Samuell Bagnoll is there beinge lately stabd by St. Laurence (sonne and heire to the Lord of Hooth) about the lie or such like brabble. Some thincke the Lord Mountjoy shalbe sent thether deputie; others say the earle of Essex meanes to take yt upon him, and hopes by his countenance that after a yeare he might return a lidger; Mary he wold have yt under the brode seale of England when he will. Here is a French ambassadorLe Sieur Thumery de Boissise, who landed at Dover on 14 October 1598 and remained as French ambassador in England until 1601. (a civilian) rather sent at the earnest request of the Frenchmen for any great love or busines of theyre owne; others say his cheife errand is about matters of piracie, wherof the Frenchmen complaine excedingly.

Here is some speach of sending Dr. Harbert, Sir Thomas Parri, Master Bodley, and Master Nevill of Berkshire in question [for an embassy to France]: besides that somebody must be sent extraordinarie to the marriage of Madame the Kings sister wherto Sir Robert Sidney is most named. John Wroth is making redy to go ambassador into Turkie. Sir Fra: Vere is comming to the Brill out of which intertainment he paies yearly 400li to the Lady Borroughs.Frances, widow of Thomas, fifth Lord Burgh (d. 1597), who had governed the Brill before Vere. See Letter 8. There was some snapping of late twixt him and the young Lord GrayThomas Grey, fifteenth Baron Grey of Wilton (1575–1614), later condemned for his role in the Bye Plot (1603) and kept in the Tower until his death. who went about to have a regiment and to be cheife commander over the English in the Lowe Countries. Sir John GilbertElder brother of Sir Humphrey Gilbert and half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh. See Letter 8. with six or seven sayle one and other is going for Guiana. I heare that Sir Walter Raleigh shold be so deeply discontented, and almost that he is not far from making a voyage that way himself.

Fowre or five more of Stanlies consorts are lately apprehended and sent to the Towre, among whom are one Rolles, Pates, and Dr. Bagshaw.Christopher Bagshaw (c. 1552–1625), Catholic priest and controversialist. His arrest with Stanley's associates reflects the government's vigilance against suspected Catholic agents in autumn 1598. The king of PolandSigismund III Vasa (1566–1632), King of Poland-Lithuania and hereditary claimant to the Swedish throne. His Protestant uncle Charles of Södermanland had effectively seized control of Sweden by 1598 and would be crowned Charles IX in 1604. is saide to be in hard termes taken in Sweden by his uncle the Duke Charles. There is one at Venice geves himself out to be Sebastian the late king of Portingale, and sayes he was not slaine Sebastian I of Portugal was widely believed killed at the battle of Alcáçar Quibir in Morocco in 1578. A string of pretenders claiming to be the lost king appeared in the following decades; this unnamed individual at Venice was one of several. at the battell in Barberie (as was thought) but taken prisoner, and concealed himself till he might conveniently get away. They make him aunswer that if he be the man, he shall not want maintenaunce nor theyre mediation, but yf he be not, he must look for that he deserves. We say the younge kinde of SpainePhilip III (1578–1621), who had succeeded his father Philip II in September 1598. hath either of her owne motion or by his order keepes the Infanta in a monasterie of nunnes till the archduke come to fetch her.

We thincke me of nothing ells unles I should tell you of certain mad knaves that tooke Tabacco all the way to Tiborn as they went to hanging. I have here sent you some verses that go under the name of my Lord of Essex when he was in disgrace, but I cannot warrant them to be his nor made at that time.The enclosure is not extant. Several lyrics have been attributed to Essex, possibly composed during his retirement at Wanstead in 1598; Chamberlain may have sent the lyric beginning "Happy were he could finish forth his fate / In some unhaunted desert." (Ault, Elizabethan Lyrics, p. 270.) Your cousin Lytton was here two dayes at the beginning of the weeke, but is gon downe to the buriall of Sir John Brocket. I have not heard lately of your brother nor of any other of your frends, so that with a short bezo las manos I bid you farewell for this time.

From London this 20th of October 1598. Yours most assuredly, JOHN CHAMBERLAIN.

To my assured goode frend Master Dudley Carleton attending on the Lord Governor of Ostend geve these.