Sir William Kyngston to Secretary Cromwell, with further details of the Queen’s conduct.
[MS. COTTON, OTHO C. X. fol. 224 b.]
SR.
The quene hathe meche desyred to have here in the closet the sacarments, & also hyr amner who she supposeth to be Devet; for won owre she ys determyned to dy, and the next owre meche contrary to that. Yesterday after your departyng I sent for my wyf, & also for mestrys Cossyn to know how the[222] had done that day, they sayd she had bene very mery and made agret dyner, and yet sone after she called for hyr supper, havyng marvell wher I was all day; and after supper she sent for me, and at my commyng she sayd, “Wher have you bene all day,” and I mad ansure I had bene with prysoners, “so,” she sayd, “I thowth I hard M. Tresur[er,”] I ansured he was not here; then she be gan talke and sayd I was creuely handeled ... a Grēweche with the kyngs counsell with my lord of Norfolke that he sayd, [Tut, tut, tut,] and shakyng hys hed iij or iiij tymes, and as for Master Tresurer he was in the [Forest of Windsor.] You know what she meynes by that, and named Mr. Controler to be avery [gentleman] ... she to be a quene and crevely handeled as was never sene; bot I [think the king] dose it to prove me, and dyd lawth with all and was very mery, and th[en she said I shall have just]ists; and then I sayde have now dowt ther[in]; then she sayd yf hony man [accuse me I can say bot n]ay, & thay can bring now wytnes, and she had talked with the gentell[wemen] ... sayd I knew at Marks commyng to the Towre that nyght I reysayved ... at it was x. of the cloke or he ware well loged, and then she sayd ... knew of Nores goyng to the Towre, and then she sayd I had ... next yf it had bene leyd she had wone, and then she sayd I w[old God I had m]y bysshoppys for thay wold all go to the kyng for me, for I thy[nke the most part of] Yngland prays for me, and yf I dy you shall se the grette[st punishment for m]e withyn thys vij yere that ever cam to Yngland, & then sh[e sayd I shal be in heaven, for] I have done mony gud dedys in my days, bot zit I thynke [moche onkindnes yn the] kyng to put seche abowt me as I never loved: I showed [her that the king toke theym] to be honest and gud wemen, bot I wold have had [of myn owne prevy chambre,] weche I favor most &c.
WILLM̄ KYNGST[ON.]
To Mastr Seretory.
LETTER IV.
Edward Baynton to the Treasurer: declaring that only one person, named Mark, will confess any thing against Queen Anne.