Your Lordship,
There are Many Matters on wich I Shoulde Spek but Begginge your Pardon there is one Thinge I Must Raise and I Hop your Lordshippe Wille Forgive me. There is not a Manne or Woman who was in Court last Tusday who Coude not See that Your Body has two Riders in its Saddel not only yourself but also another. To Putte it Planly your Lordshippe is Possest by a Powrfull Spirit.1) I doe Thinke I know which Spirit it be and if soe it is not an ill Spirit but rather a Noble one that Thinke only of the Strength and Glorey of Albion.
But it doe not have your Cat-Footed way about Court if I May Saye so. Also it doe have some Several Ticks and Tricks of Manner which do not Belonge to you such as of a Suddn Declaringe War on Eireland and then Fallinge into a Swoone. In Short is has been Notict my Lorde and Widely Remarkt upon and there is a Certin Party2) who has Writ to me since Askinge if I Might Looke into the Mattr and perhaps Finde some way to Prove you are Possest so that you Might be Relev'd of your Offise. I Meane to Telle this Person that I Shalle do what I can but that I Cannot Saye if I Shall have Time or Means to See to the Matter for if he Hop that I am Lookinge into it then he is Less Like to Ask Another to do soe. Nonetheless if there is one Person Thinkinge in such Kinde there Wille be more.
My Lorde if you are Willinge I Woude try to Spek with the Spirit for I doe Hold it in Grat Respect and Hope that I can Persude it that it Shoulde not Force you into Such Spasms. Mistress verch Morcant is better stille when it come to Spekinge with Spirits and if your Lordshippe Wille Permit I Shalle Spek to her of this. It may be Better she Werk with us on this Matter than she be Braught in by those who Woulde see you Less High-Plac'd.
As your Lordship Knowe I have been Drawinge up some Chartes for the Royal Family and since Their Safety is deer to you I Thinke it Welle that you Knowe of them. On the Orders of the Kinge I have Drawn up a Charte for the Queen for the Dofan. The Queens Charte Treat of her Past her Present and her Futcher. In her Past I did see Marrage which I must Thinke is her Union to his Majestey. Also I did See some Hints of Rivalry and a Dire Shadow wich Looke to me like a Siknesse mixt with a hint of Poison. Her Present is Fulle to the Brim with Excitement of Spirit as of one as Eager as a Hare in a Carotpatch. By wich I doe Meane no Disrespect for twod be a Right Royal Hare with Noble Long Eares. Her Futcher I doe see to have more Marrage in it wich may of corse be a Continud Marrage to his Majestey but also I do See that Same Strange Shadow of Rivalry and the Possibility of Poison and Death.
The Dofin doe Seeme to be for now a Counter in the Dangrous Games of Others but there is a Powr Protects him somehow. There also Seeme to be some Grat Religious Powr wich affect his Destiny tho I cannot say for Goode or Ill. And it doe Seeme that if the Boy doe survive to become a Man he will become the Gratest Monarck France has ever Known.
I did also Prepare a Simpel Charte for his Highnes Prinse Richard and as you may have Heared it Shewed that his Mortall Soul was in Danger. The Kinge was Right Concernt and has Forbad the Prinse to Leave the Palace for wich the Prince is Right Vext wich I Thinke will do me no Goode in his Eyes. I Shalle be Drawinge a Better Charte to Knowe more of this Thret but already I have a Suspishon.
My Lorde I Drew up a Charte for Prinse Richard in Parte because I had been Worrid to Hear that the Master of Invisible College Seem'd Uncomonly Pleas'd after the Prinses Birthday Party at that College. Indeed I Heare that at the Ende when the Prinse was Leavinge the Master Smil'd. My Lorde the Man Never Smiles and if he do soe now it can be no Goode Matter.
However there is Another Pece of Mischef Afoot wich must be Stopt at all Costs. A Yeare or so ago the Master of Invisible Arrang'd that the next Boat Race Woulde not Pass along a Strait Corse but Wolde Follow a Circel about the Island. My Sorce in the College has now Given me to Understand that the Raison for this is that the Race Wille be Made into a Ritual and that the Master of Invisible hisself Wille be in the Boat Leadinge the Ritual. Wich since he is a Sorcrous Follwer of Baal I Thinke to be noe Goode Thinge. The Stars have of Late Givn many Ill Tydinges of Houndes of the Devill Runninge through the Streetes of Oxforde and it may be that it is from this Ritual that we Must Feare such Thinges. My Lorde it is Harde for me to Saye this as a Loyal Student of Oxford Universitey but the Boat Race Must be Stopt.
Furthermore I have Spokn with the Spirit of my own College and it Seeme that it used to Holde Converse with the Spirit of Invisible College. But it is Worrid now for it has not Heared from the Spiriit of Invisible for quite some Yeares. I Thinke me that some Ill has come to this Spirit from the doings of the Master.
On the Matter of Olde Professor Soldwel who was Askinge after the Watchfull Man your Last Letter did Reach me Somewhat Late so that I had Alredy Found Raisons to Delay the Divination. Tis not yet cast but I Must Give him an Answer Soone if it is not to Looke Strange. If I Stille have your Permison I Shalle Cast it Forthwith and if Your Lordshippe is Certin that it will be Plan to me wich of the two Faces I Sholde Describe to him then I Shalle Belive you. I Have Ask'd the Profesor about his Queston but he Sayes that it is Mere Idel Curosity.
On the Matter of Master Silva it doe Seeme that he has Hung hisself Topsy-Turvy from the World Tree as did Odin bfore him and I must Gues for his Suffring3) he has been Grant'd the Runes and with them Surpassing Powr and Knollege. They do Say that Odin did Lose an Eye but it is Diffcelt to be Certin if Silva has Lost one for his Face is so Seldom his own. I Thinke if he had as many Bodeys as it Seeme he has Faces then he Might Fill the Court his Sole Self. Indeede Mistress verch Morcant did Saye to me that at the last Meetinge of the Cort when Silva was in Coler with O Farel his Voise did Change for a Time as if he had Dropt a Feined Acksent.
It Seeme also that he has Done Somethinge to Please the Merchant Companeys Gratly for they have been Spekinge Highly of him but not I Feare Planly. They doe Saye that he has Made progres of Some Kinde in the Spanish Coloneys and that with a Smal Amout of Further Genrosity it might be Posibl to Winne the most Amazing Windfall for the Companeys and Albion. Bsides this he has Pleas'd the Companyes by Makinge Certin that Companeys Stocks of Gunpowder are Higher than ever bfore but they are Stille Fearfull for their Lack of a Sorce.
My Lorde I have Mentoned bfore the Seckret Facility that the East India Company has Sette up for Cathayan Refugees as they Term it but I Stille Thinke there is Somethinge Passinge Strange Happninge. There are Menny Thinges Cominge from Cathay in these Dayes and not alle can be Rightly Call'd Peple. Both Sides of the War in Helle Hop to Tempt the Demons of Cathay to their Side of the Fray and it May be that they can only Cross from one t'Other thro the Mortall Realms. Also I have Learn'd of Creatures like Men but Partly of Metall who have been Seen in the East and who I Belive are to be Founde mongst some of these Refugees. I Have an Idea where this Facility may be if your Lordshippe Woude Hear of it.
The Order of Arundel is Frothinge at the Ecsploson of Naples and has Bid its Agents doe alle they Can to Find Evidense that our Kinge was behind it soe that they can Thrust Albion into Warre with alle of the Continent. They Saye that the Attack was Witness'd by Sundry Ambassadors of Europ who had Heared Rumors that it was to Tak Place but who Coulde not Stop it. There is an Arundel Agent who is Codenamed Lazarus4) of whom they Spek Highly for his Werk in this Matter Sayinge that he is a Pet of the Pope and Angells alike.
The Order also Bid their Agents Smuggel as many Artisans Alckemists Inventors and Makers of Fine Glas and Insterments as Possibel Tellinge these Peple that if they Werke for the Romish Cause then the Order Wille Helpe them Recover Venice from Albion.
The Order doe saye that they had for a Time an agent of Albion who had a Hande in Killinge the Queen of France but that this Agent is now Snatch'd back out of their Grasp. I only Repet what they Saye and no doute such Rumor about the Quen of France is a Load of Herring-Feet that I Wille not be Repetinge to anyone but youre Lordshippe.
It Seeme that the Order have Lost a Good Menny Agents Tryinge to Kille Master Silva and the Earl of Hereford and are so Vext by their own Failer that they have Decid'd those Gentlemen must be in Leage with the Devill.
The Order Saye that Soone they Shalle have a Sorce of Gunpowder to Stand in Sted of what was Got bfore from Cathay. But they say for this they Neede a Cathayan Theurgist so their Agents must Come by one.
If you Woude Knowe more of these or other Matters I pray your Lordshipe Tell me.
God Helpe us alle,
Eliza
Father,
I Hop that my Last Letter Reach'd you Safely and that you have Seen the Note Warninge of the Plan of the Master of Invisible to use the Boat Race to Open a Hole to Nether Hell. I have been Makinge Copeys of the Letter to Shew to Others so that this Man can be Stopt. I have Warn'd Profesor Quin who Near Brock my Door down Cominge to Aske me if I was sure and then Plopt himself Down in a Chair and Look'd Like to go into a Plexy of some Sort until I Putte some Tea inside him. But he has Rallied now and Wille be Tryinge to get the Race Cancell'd. He has Writ to Captin Smashinge to Ask that if the Race go Ahead it Meete with an Intrestinge Encounter and I have Writ to Mistres verch Morcant who Knowes many of the Spirits and Serpentes of the Water and she too is Willinge to Helpe. Stille the Master is Suttel and I have Small Doute that he Have some Other Plans to Fall Back upon.
I Have Also Writ of this Matter to Lord Alastair Gray and Brother Chalk for I Thot they Wolde Finde the Devouringe of Oxforde of Passinge Intrest but they have not yet Answer'd my Letter. I have Spoke also with one or two Others who Wille Try to Helpe Cancel the Race or Make it Tak Another Route. The Letter doe also Saye that that Same Letter is Gone to Divers other Folks but I Knowe not who.
This Mak Sense of a Grat Deale of the Stars Warninges of Capital and Crown Fallinge Down and of Devills Hounds Runninge in the Oxforde Streetes. Much of the Warninges in that Mystreous Letter is Alredy Toled to me by Dame Chandler who is much Fritned but has the Mettle to Staye in that Accurst College in Case she Can Finde out More. At all Costs her Parte in Passinge Informaton must Remaine Secrette from alle or She Wille be Lucky if she is only et by Spidders. I Have Spok with the Spirit of Cains College and it Saye that it doe not Like Invisible College much but Holdes the Spirit of that College in Some High Regarde but it is Trubled for it has Heared Naught from the Spirit of Invisible for Quit Some Yeares.
I Have Toled you that the Master and the other Servantes of Baal have been Heared Talkinge of a Man who is Nam'd Wo Feng. Bfore the Cathayan Sorcress Chang Mai Disaper'd she Toled me that the Name was not Strange to her. Twas an Old Frend of hers5) from the Imperial Cort who she has Last Seen Beinge Dragg'd down to Hell in the Talones of a Demon. She Belived he was Alive even soe and Beinge used as Currency to Coax and Bribe those that his Captor Wisht to Joyne in the War in Helle. She Sayes he was but a Talented man with a Gift of Talkinge to Angells wich Sounde a Mite like you Father.
For Many one Such Thret Wolde do for a Letter but Hazards Crowd in upon us Fast so I Shalle Cram them into one Note. I have Spoken with Lord Wyndham bout the Spirit of Albion and he has Agreed to Lette me Spek with it and also Mistres verch Morcant Shalle be there who Have more Skill in such Thinges. She doe Saye that when she Last Spok with the Spirit it was Right Short with her and Aper'd as a Lordly Man with very Littel Pashense.
Father as you May Knowe I have been Drawinge up Star Charts for Quen Joanna and the Yonge Dofin on Orders of the Kinge. The Quens Charte did Shewe Somethinge of her Past Present and Futcher. In her Past I did see Marrage but also some Hints of Rivalry and Somethinge Like unto Siknesse with a Hint of Poison. Her Present is Bubblinge over with Eagernesse but I Cannot Saye why. Her Futcher I doe see to have more Marrage in it wich as you May Gues I Explan'd to the Kinge Right Carefully for Feare of Raisinge his Wruth. It may of corse be a Continud Marrage to his Majestey but also I do See that Same Strange Shadow of Rivalry and the Possibility of Poison and Death.
The Dofin doe Seeme to be Knockt this way and That in Others Games for Powr. However there is a Powr Protects him somehow. The Chartes also Shewe that some Grat Religious Powr Wille affect his Destiny tho I cannot say for Goode or Ill. But it doe Seeme that if the Boy doe survive to become a Man he will become the Gratest Monarck France has ever Known.
As I Thinke you Know one Chart Shewed that Prinse Richards Mortall Soul is in Danger and now the Kinge has Made a Very Prisner of the Yonge Prinse in the Palace for his Own Safty wich I Thinke Please the Prinse very Ill Indeed. I Shalle be Drawinge a Better Charte to Knowe more of this Thret but I doe Feare me that it Have Somethinge to do with the Party Held at Invisible College and that Some Sceme of the Master was Putte in Motion then.
Meanwile Mistres verch Morcant Have Putte up some Wardes to Protect the Yonge Twin Prinse from the Witch-Kinge who she Sayes is Call'd Al-Nasir. But she Saye that the Wardes will not Laste Forever and some other Way must be Found to Protect him.
The Order of Arundell Still Hiss and Slither in these Fever'd Times. They Blame the Volcano that Destroy'd Naples on Albion and have Toled their Agents to doe alle they Can to Find Evidense that the Kinge was behind it. They Saye that the Attack was Witness'd by Divers Ambassadors of Europ who had Heared Rumors that it was to Tak Place but who Coulde not Stop it. There is an Arundel Agent who is Codenamed Lazarus of whom they Spek Highly for his Werk in this Matter and this is a Name I have Heared them use bfore. The Order also Bid their Agents Smuggel as many Artisans Alckemists Inventors and Makers of Fine Glas and Insterments as Possibel Tellinge these Peple that if they Werke for the Romish Cause then the Order Wille Helpe them Recover Venice from Albion. It Seeme they have Also Tryed to Murder the Earl of Hereford and Master Silva and because their Murdrers have Fail'd and Perish'd the Order now Wail that Hereford and Silva must be Protect'd by the Devill.The Order also Saye that Soone they Shalle have a Sorce of Gunpowder to Stand in Sted of what was Got bfore from Cathay. But they say for this they Neede a Cathayan Theurgist so their Agents must Come by one.
It doe Seeme that the Volcanoe that Burnt Naples may have been Caus'd by Sung Chang Mai for tis Rumor'd she was Practisinge some Magick Nearby. The Merchant Companeys Thinke that she is Took by Jesuits wich is Strange for the Jesuits Mak no Menton of Havinge her only of Sorcry from Cathay Beinge to Blame for the Esploshon. The Merchant Companeys are Right Panick'd to have Lost her and Have Toled all their Peple that she must be Founde by Alle Meanes or Grat Albion will Founder and be Destroy'd.
Father I Thinke Master Silva has Done Somethinge to Give hisself Much Powr and I doe not Knowe yet alle that it Wille Meane. He has Saught out Yggdrasil the World Tree and has Hunged hisself from it Like Odin bfore him and been Spitted with a Speare and has Tooke the Runes. Mistres verch Morcant also Telle me that when he was Anger'd with O Farrell he Spake Diffrently as if he had been Us'd to Fein one Voice and had for a Moment Falln Back into his Own. You may Saye that alle he has Done is in Servise of Albion but I Have Longe Since Stopt Drinkinge the Tea what he Makes for us at Meetinges of the Sisters.
We have Spok bfore of the 36 and I Have had Littel Time to Looke into this of Late. But I have Spoke with the Angel of Truth and it has Toled me where one of the 36 may be Founde. You are one that I Wolde Trust with that Knolledge Father but there are Few Others and yet perhaps we can Protect this Man.
Father you Wille Thinke that my Wits have Crack'd with Sittinge up Writinge too Late but there is Somethinge else I Wolde ask you. Have you ever Heared of where a Sphinx Might be Founde? If we Finde ourselves in Direst Perill there is a Spelle that I Might Cast which Have Neede of the Eye of a Sphinx wich Seeme no Easy Matter for I Heare that they are Vishous and Canny Monsters Fond of Doinge Travellers to Deth if they are not Quick-Witted.
My Thankes for your Helpe in the Tryal of Master Jones wich have Done Much to Cleare the Name of Mistres Scoggins and has Sent Master Jones off to Finde the Scheminge Papist who Brib'd the Peple of Dumfries. Father it Seeme to me that Reward for Fightinge the Cause of Truth Come Very Rarely but in Sooth Watching the Face of Master Jones Turne to Whey at the Last Courte Meetinge when I Toled him that he had been Made a Toole by Papists was one of those Times of Rewarde.
It Wolde do me Goode to have your Counsel again Father. My Spirits are as Low as my Candel and Phlegm has Et my Bred Loaf Hollow again from the Inside Leavinge only the Crust which I Know I Shalle forget Tomorrow when I Try to Slice it.
God helpe us alle,
Eliza