June, 1576.

      RIGHT TRUSTY FRIENDS,—Being given to understand from our cousin of Leicester how honourably he was lately received and used by you and our cousin the countess at Chatsworth, and how his diet is by you both discouraged at Buxton, we should do him great wrong, holding him in that view as far above favour, in case we should not let you understand in how thankful sort we accept the same at both your hands.  Therefore we think, for the securing of our credit, to make you a proposition of diet, which we mean in no case shall you exceed.  And that is to allow him by the day, for his meat two ounces of flesh, referring the quality to yourselves, so you exceed not the quantity, and for his drink the twentieth part of a pint of wine to comfort his stomach, and as much of St. Anne's sacred water as he careth to drink.  On festival days, as is fit for a man of his quality, we can be content you enlarge his diet by allowing him for his dinner the shoulder of a wren, and for his supper a leg of the same, besides his ordinary crusts.  The like proportion we mean you shall allow unto our brother of Warwick, saving that we think in respect that his body is more replete than his brothers, that the wren's leg allowed at supper on festival days be abated, for that light suppers agree best without relief of physic.  This order, our meaning is, you shall inviolably observe, and so may you right well assure yourselves of a most thankful debtor to so well deserving creditors.

ELIZABETH R.

  Source:
  Cowan, Samuel. Mary, Queen of Scots, and
  Who Wrote the Casket Letters? Vol II.
  London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1901. 171-2.


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