Good S.^r Henry Brounker./ this thursdaye the x^th of March about xij of the
Clock, Arbell came out of hir chamber, went toward the gates (as she sayde)
intending to walke, but being perswaded it was dynner tyme did staye./
about too of the Clock in the afternoone, there came to my gates, my sonne
Henry Cavendishe and one m^r Stapleton, sonne & heire to Stapleton of
Carleton in Yorkshire w^th him./ for that Arbell was desirous to speak
w^th my bad sonne Henry, I was content to suffer him to come into my house
and speake w^th hir, rather then she to goe to him, but sent him worde not
to remayne here above too howers./ I woulde not suffer Stapleton to
come w^thin my gates for I have disliked him of long for many respectes,
it is about viij. yeres since I sawe him./ he hath written to me many
tymes to knowe yf he might come, but I misliking him would not suffer
him, so far he never durst p^rsume till nowe to offer to come./ Arbell &
Henry Cavendishe had not talked as I think a dozen wordes togather, but
they both came downe & offred to goe out of my gates./ one of my servau^ntes^
intreated them not to offer to goe out vntill they had my consent./
Arbell seemed vnwilling to staye, yet at length by perswasion did staye
till worde was brought to me./ when I vnderstoode of it./ I sent to hir
that I did not think it good she should speake w^th Stapleton, and wisht
hir to forbeare it for I thought by Stapleton no fitt man for hir
to Converse or talk w^thall./ she askt yf she were a prisoner, and sayde
she woulde see, and so went to the gates and would have gone out but
was not suffred, yet she did speak to Stapleton, looking through the
gate, some vayne idle wordes of salutation, and bad him goe to ~
Mannsfeild and staye there till he harde from hir w^th some more ~
wordes to no purpose, many being p^rsent & hearing what they sayd,
so w^th much sending to Stapleton to depart, at length he went from my
gates./ she had appoynted Henry Cavendishe to come hither agayne,
to morowe, w^ch I forbad and so I think he will not come./
he was no sooner gon out of my gates, but she made hirself reddie
to walke abroad, w^ch I thought not Convenient she should doe, and
so she stayde./ other dayes she hath walked to take the Ayer in
severall places./ one came hither yesterdaye morning post from
London to Arbell from hir servant Chaworth./ I here he brought
back to hir, a letter w^ch Chaworth should have delyvered to you, w^ch
she was seene to burne p^rsently vppon the receit of it & retorned him
w^th other letters to you agayne./ she sayth she hath likewise sent ~
Basset hir page to London poste too dayes since w^th letters to you./
she never restes wryting and sending vp & downe in the Countrie and
to
London as she sayth./ Henry Cavendishe here showed to have but three
or foure men w^th him & Stapleton but one, I suffred but one of Henry
Cavendishes men to come into the house w^th him, but I am informed that
there were of theyr company whoe kept themselves secret w^thin a quarter
of a mile of the house above fortie horsmen well weaponed and some
of them had dagges./ they were in foure severall companies, some at
Hucknall, viz at one M^rs Iretons xij. at one Chapmans house there, tenn
in a bushie grounde nere here called Rowthorne Carr ix or .x. And
tenn, at one doves house in Rowthorne where Stapleton hath lurked
three dayes as I harde even nowe./ They being thus wickedly
disposed, maye aswell have five hundreth men w^thin a myle of the house
and I not vnderstand of theyr ill intent./ Arbell threatens and will
give it out vppon any little occasion, being intreated not to speak wth
any bad bodie that she is kept as a prisoner:/ I should not somuch have
forgotten my self to have troubled hir Ma.^tie and some of hir Ma.^ties
Privie Counsell for Arbells remove hence./ but that I feared the
daunger that I was not able for my lyfe to w^thstand./ and she being
here one daye, I feare I shall not have hir here the morowe, yf
I shoulde suffer hir but to goe w^thout my gates./ In my opinion
it were best she were removed farther from the North, w^ch waye
I feare she woulde goe, she shall not of long tyme in the South, ~
be acquaynted w^th somany to help hir as she is hereaboutes./
I here that one of the Company had a pillion to carry a woman
behind him & Covered it w^th a Cloke./ And so being very late this
thursdaye night the x^th of Marche I cease wishing you all
happynes./ ffrom Hardwick./

EShrouesbury
/ / / / /