Eliza Gamut Correspondence - Turnsheet 2

Your Lordship,

If I am to be Eyes and Ears for you in a Certen Order I had Beste Take the Matter at a Gallup and Telle you what I Knowe. Some Six Month Hense a Letter Come by Unsin'd from that Nest of Popery full of Snakish Sugeshions. The Order Hope to Kindle Strife twixt the Dragoons and the Privteers and Make themselves Merry at their Quarrells for they Hope to See our Fleetes Wither and Weeken. They also Speake Most Vilely of Prinsesse Mary who they Thinke is a Silly Vaine Hoity who can be Turn'd Gainst her Royal Father and Perhaps in Time Braught to Popery.

A Few Days Agoe another Letter Ariv'd from the Same Hand Fulle of Like Skulduggry. It Helde much Fiery Wrath at the Deeth of the Cardinal1). It also Spoke of your Lordship as one who Would Remaine Dangrous even if Disgrac'd and better Topp'd than Toppl'd. The Order Promis'd all Aide to any of their Servantes who Look'd to Take Care of your Lordship by Poison or other Meanes. The Order also Ask'd alle its Agents to find a Theurgist for one of their Members who uses the Codename '36' for some Nameless Project.

The late Pamphlet on the Follies of Rome has Ruffl'd their Feathers and Set them Screechinge. They Suspect Nicholas Lovecraft but are not Certin and Wishe to Knowe More of the Author.2) The Order has Toled its Tooles that they Must Looke to Turne Others to their Cause either Willingly or thro Blackmaile or other Forse. They Thinke to Blackmaile Sinyor Medici for he has not been Attendinge Mass and Woulde Probably not Wishe it Known. The Bloody Order has also Heared Rumers that Albion and the Turks have Shewn Interest in Malta and Wishe to Knowe why for Feare our Two Lands may be Hatchinge some Plot on Maltese Soil.

Last of all is a Liste of Those the Order Deemes Dangrous and to be Scotch'd and Thworted. Should your Lordship Wishe I can Telle you more of this Liste.

Your Humble Servante,

E

Father,

Since we Spoke my Minde has been Dwellinge on that Ill Omen'd Number which Brother Chalk Seem'd to Think was Like to the Number of the Beaste3) . If you Knowe more of it Father I Would Have you Telle me bfore I goe Pokinge around for I Would Knowe how Hot the Pot is bfore I Sticke my Finger in the Soupe.

I have been Thinkinge Further on the Earle of Glastenburghy and it Seemes to me you may have Hit the Marke. You Sayed that he is Lookinge for a Theurgist just as that Bloody Order Toled their Servantes to doe. At Courte he was Askinge about Malta and now it Comes to my Minde that that Order also Urg'd their Minyons to Discover more of that Isle for they have Heared that Albion and the Turkes both have been Interest'd in Malta and Would Knowe more. Last of all he has been Keepinge Company with the Prinsesse Mary who that Order said should be Turn'd about and Corrupt'd to their Perpesses.

Lord Wyndham Seemes Right Gratfull for the Warninge I Give him about the Poison and has put me on Retainer to be Eyes and Ears for him. Still I Wonder if I have been too Rashe and Bolde for the Goode of my Skin for if I were of the Papists I Might Caste Forth such a Sugeshion to Finde out any Spyes. But if Lord Wyndham Playe the Double Game he Playe it Welle and I doe not Catch him with Cardes in his Sleeves.

Someone Else also Tryed to Warne him of his Perille with a Scrorl'd Note and Lord Wyndham Ask'd me if I could Trace the Scrorler. But I Thinke I Wille Not for now for if Wyndham Prove Popish after Alle it Would be Ille to Betraye another to him and Besides if I can Delaye he is less Like to Sende me to My Maker for Hopes of Makinge me Usefull.

I have not yet Toled him of the Earl of Glastenburghy and Thinke I May Telle him Little but what Appeares in the Order's Secret Missifes so that if he is True Timber it Wille Serve him Welle and if he is Rotten then he Wille Learne Nothinge more than he Knowes Already and his Good Golde will not Poison me for Cominge from a Papist.

I Mighte Trust Wyndham more if our Heav'nly Father had not Punish't me for Most of the Deedes I have done for Good-Heart'd Reasons and I Cannot See why this Should be Diffrent unless He has Chang'd his Humer.

E