"Right Hoe, oure humble dewties remeberd, &c., may yt please yor good Lpp. to be c'tified, that upon Tuesday morninge laste, being assembled for the choice of or Burgesses, Mr. George Belgrave p'sented himselfe amongest us, in a blewe coat wth a bull head, affirminge and protestinge he was yor Lp's s'vt, and that Sr Henrie Harrington, verye late the night before, had obteyned that favour of yor hor in his behalfe; and muche bemoned his former undewtifull cariage towards yor Lp, wth a remorsive remembrance of many most ho. favours receaved from yor Lp and yor 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 yor Lp, answered, that this (poyntinge at his coat and cognizance) he hoped was a sufficient testimonie of yr Lp's favour towards him, and of his submission towards yor hor; and further, that it was so late before Sr Henrie cold p¯cure yor Lp'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, wth Mr. Willm Herricke, to be or Burgesses. And now, this evening, wee are credibly certified that yr Lp hath geven him no suche entertaynemt; and thus by his said lewde and most dishonest dealinge, being much abused, we thought it or dewties forthewth to signifie the same unto yor Lp, humbly cravinge yor Lp's most horable favor for some reformacon of this vile practize. And thus, wth remembrance of oure dewties, wee humbly take or leaves. From Leicr, this xxth day of October, 1601.
"Youre honor's most humble to comaunde,
Signed by "Willm 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, yt there remaynes a false brother amongst you.... And as for ye 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 for ye better unfouldinge of this, as also for suche punnyshmt as the law will inflict."
In pursuance of this determination, the earl exhibited an information against Mr. Belgrave in the Star Chamber. The subsequent proceedings which took place on the subject in parliament will be found noticed in D'Ewes's Journal, and quoted in Thompson's History of Leicester, pp. 319-323.
William Kelly.
Leicester.