CP 153, 65

CP Volume 153 Folio 65

HMC Volume 1 Page 255 Number 810.

Haynes Page 365 Number 365

Transcribed by Samuel Haynes in “A Collection of State Papers . . . 1542 to 1570” London, 1740

1560 Confession of Arthur Guntor, concerning Lord Robert Duddley

From the Original.

PLESETHE your Honors farther to understande, that the seyde Mr. George Cottone seyde, that hyt was rumord hertofore, that my Lorde my Master shoolde have maryed the Quene's Hyghnes: And I seyde that yf hyt pleased hyr Hynes, I thowght hym as mette a Man as any in Inglande. And farther he asked me, yf I herde of eny Parlemente towarde; and I seyde no, but yf ther were eny, I thynke every Nobleman wyll geve his Opynyon; and then they that be my Lords Frends wyll seye, that he is a mette Man, and the other that be more my Lord Robert's Frends wyll seye, that he ys a mette Man; and so hyt maye fortune there wyll rysse troble amonge the Noblemen, which God forbede. And then he asked me who was my Lords Frends: And I seyde my Lorde Markes of Northampton, my Lord of Pembroke, Mr. Tresurer, Mr. Sacfelde with many other. Farther I seyd, I trust the whyght Horsse wylbe in quyet, and so shall we be owtee of troble; hyt ys well knowen hys Blode, as yette, whas never attaynte, not he was ever Man of Warr, wherfor ys hyt lycly, that we shall sytte styll; but yf he shoold stomacke hyt, he were able to macke a great Powre: All those Thyngs beforre rehersed I have spoken unto dyvers other, as onto Mr. Robert Palmer, Mr. Stowton, Mr. Benyon and others. Farther, as towchynge my Lord Robert, I have seyde to Mr. Cottone, that I thowght hym to be the Causse, that my Lorde my Master myght not marry the Quene's Hyghnes; wherfor I woolde that he had bene put to dethe with hes Father, or that some Roffen woolde have dyspached hym by the Way as he hath gone, with some Dagge or Gonne: Farther I seyde, that yf hyt chaunced my Lord Robert to marry the Quene's Hyghnes, then I dowted whether he woolde remember eny owlde Matter passed heartoforre, and so be turned unto my Lord my Master's dyspleasurre and hynderance.

By me, Arthur Gounter.