'After our right hearty commendations to your good Lordship. Your Lordship had received more speedy answer to your last letters of the 29th of August, but that Her Majesty's pleasure was first to be known touching some part of them; which being now understood we can better satisfy your Lordship in the particular points of the same. And first for the respite your Lordship desireth for return of the certificates out of the counties of Wales; though the service be such as requireth all possible speed, yet in regard of the delay of this answer to your Lordship and because we doubt not your Lordship will see the service performed with as much speed as you can, we hope it shall be in no ways inconvenient that we enlarge the time to your Lordship until the 20th of October, by which day we doubt not but you will take order that all may be in readiness. Secondly, touching the Deputy Lieutenants; your Lordship shall understand that Her Majesty reposeth so great trust in you and thinketh so well of your Lordship's judgment in the service, as it pleaseth her to allow of your own choice of the gentlemen for the several counties set down in your own schedule (adding for Worcestershire, Sir Henry Bromley, kt) and for Pembrokeshire, because your Lordship hath named none of that county, we have thought good to mention these four unto your Lordship, namely, Sir John Wogan, kt, George Owen, Thomas Revell and Francis Merick, esquires, and to request your Lordship's opinion of them, that if these also be to your Lordship's liking, Her Majesty may take knowledge of them. The third point of your Lordship's letter is concerning armour and powder of store; one of the which may be so well provided by the means of a gentleman, one Mr Grovenor, that cometh down into that country and will of purpose attend on your Lordship, as we suppose no better means can be taken than by the partitions of armour and all sorts of furniture that he hath in store; and for the other, we must request your Lordship to take order with the shires severally, that at the charge of the country there may be a convenient quantity of powder layed up in store (as is ordered in all other counties of Her Majesty's realm). And for the places where the store shall remain, and the proportion to be layed upon every county, we must refer it to your Lordship's own discretion. The course that your Lordship wisheth to be taken, rather for a certain sum to be imposed upon the shires for entertainment of the muster masters, than for a voluntary collection, we do well approve; but as we like the manner of it, so it seemeth to us that £25 is somewhat too small a sum, and therefore do wish your Lordship to advance it to £30. For the last point of your letters touching the City of Bristol, we do also allow of your Lordship's motion; and therefore the Mayor of that city, being your Lordship's Deputy Lieutenant, we do require your Lordship to give order that a view also may be taken of the trained soldiers of the city, and all defects supplied according to the direction and order given to all other counties in that behalf. And so we bid your Lordship heartily well to fare. From the court at Nonesuche'. Signed: John Puckering, C.S.; W. Burghley; Essex; Howard; Hunsdon; T. Heneage; Robt. Cecil; J. Wolley; J. Fortescue.