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To our right trusty and welbeloued
the Lord North our Lieutenaunt
of our County of Cambridge
[Bottom of page in pencil:]
Misc MS 256
[Right page:]
By the Quene

Elizabeth R

Right trustie and welbeloued we grete yo^w well. fforasmuche as o^ur
right trustie and right entirely beloued cousin the Duke of Norffolk
our Lieutenaunte generall in the northe now residinge vpon oure
frontieres at oure towne of Barwick hathe not with him suche a
convenient power as is mete for the savetie of oure sayd frontiers
and defence of our Realme against thattempte and practises
of the frenche and that we meane for our owne hono^r and for ~
suretie specially of that parte of our Realme to haue a further
nomber sent to him. We haue by aduyse of oure counsell
resolued to haue the nomber of two hundred hable foote men
for the warre, to be levied wi^th all speede in that our countie of
Cambridge And therefore we will and commaund yow all
delayes set aparte by auctority of thies our [lettre] to levye, or cause
to be levied wi^thin that our countie aswell wi^thin places exempted
as other whatsoever they be the number of two hundred
footemen ^and to be sent to our said cousin wi^th all speede, In choyse whereof ye shall cause regard to be hadd
specially to these thinges followinge. First, that they may
be of the ablest and strongest persons, and that the choyse be not
made of husbandmen, or laborers Where otherwise, the same
may be made of servinge men artificers and yomen that be
not occupied in husbandry withe their owne hand labors /
And finally to foresee, that mete and hable men be not
spared or discharged by favor or rewarde to be gevin to the
captaines or others that shall muster them And for choyse
of captaines our pleasure is that the charge hereof be committed
to somme of our trustie and welbeloued knightes or Squyers
of that countie beinge of woorshippe estimacion and [creditt...]
to leade suche nomber as ye shall thinke mete to assigne
to their charge Whereof we requyre yo^w to certefye vs that
we may retayne them and their service in our good memory
Requyring the same also in our name not to spare any
travaile, or labor in this case of service wi^th our said cousin
of Norffolk, our Lieutenaunt, the same beinge for the [Operacion]
of this oure Realme from violation or invasion by the
ffrenche w^ch they have of late tyme most notoriously ~
and daungerously devised to execute this present [sommes] of
resistance had not ben, and were not provided in good tyme
And for money for coates and [conducs], ye shall receave lettres
herewith by oure commaundement from our treasurer of
England to our [Recewvers] or suche others as shall [s...] the
same satisfied and contented And yf it shall
happen that the said numbers cannot all be furnyshed
withe armo^r and weapons in that countie, then the