Virtual Grub Street: William Camden to Sir Robert Cotton. March 15, 1603. [1602 O.S.]

In this series:
Lady Southwell on the Final Days of Queen Elizabeth I.
Queen Elizabeth I’s Heart and the French Ambassador.
William Camden to Sir Robert Cotton. March 15, 1603 [1602 O.S.].
Scaramelli, Venetian Secretary in England, to the Doge and Senate; March 20, 1603

William Camden was the senior “King” of the College of Arms in London, in charge of the various aspects of Heraldry of families south of the River Trent. He wrote a massive Latin history of England, over many years, beginning in 1577, entitled Britannia[1]. At the suggestion of his friend, Baron Burghley, he later wrote The History of the Most Renowned and Victorious Princess Elizabeth[2].

Robert Cotton was the collector of the manuscripts that compose the famous Cottonian library. As a boy, he studied under Camden at Westminster School.

Here their topic is the dying Queen Elizabeth. The Royal Court had developed a checklist of activities to be accomplished before a dying monarch should expire. Men without steady jobs were shipped to the Low Countries as they were likely to sign onto any call to arms from claimants to the emptied throne or simply to lapse into more than usually anti-social behaviors. Arms and munitions were shipped from the provinces to The Tower in order to be prepared for the same. Ships put out into the Channel in order to discourage invasion. “Gentlemen hunger-starved for innovations,” were placed under various forms of arrest until the succession could peaceably be achieved. The domestic spy network that the Baron Burghley handed down to his son, Robert Cecil, was well aware of who such gentlemen were and watched them carefully.

The Queen would die nine days later.

Pardon me, my good Mr. Cotton, if I do not now preface it. I knowe you are (as we all have been) in a melancholy and pensive cogitation. This αυπνια, or excessive sleepless indisposition of her Majestie is now ceased, which being joined with an inflammation from the breast upward, and her mind altogether averted from physic in this her climactericall year, did more than terrify us all, especially the last Friday in the morning, which moved the Lords of the council, when they had providently caused all the vagrants here about to be taken up and shipped for the Low Countries, to draw some munition to the Court, and the great horse from Reading to guard the Receipt at Westminster; to take order for the navy to lye in the narrow seas; and to commit some gentlemen hunger-starved for innovations, as Sir Edm. Bainham, Catesby, Tresham, two Wrights, &c. and afterwards the Counte Arundell of Warder[3], to a gentleman's house, for speech used by the foresayd turbulent spirites, as concerning him, or for that he made lately some provision of armour. This I thought good in generality to impart unto you, that you may (as we do) put away fear, and thank God for this joyful recovery of her, upon whose health and safety we all depend. Vale prospere, 15 Martii. (1602 O.S.)

Your Worship's assured,

Guil. Camden.