CECIL, William, Lord Burghley (1520-1598). Autograph letter signed ('W. Burghley') to Robert Petre, Hertford Castle, 27 August 1576, thanking him for a letter on financial matters, 'I thank you for advertisyng me of y. state of y. recept this last month', and commenting in detail, referring to certificates of payments by various officials, 'There hath also been by Phillipps and Young good somes recovered in y. Customs house, whereof though they have payd some portion as they did certify me xii dayes past, yet I trust they have and shall have before ye last of this month as much as shall paye with the money of the xvth all the forsayd ... I hope ye shipping being now so great both for Spayn and Flanders they shall have to help to paye as much as shall paye a resonable part', enclosing letters and further instructions for Petre to confer with them, also sending a letter to Luddington 'to make payement of that which I know to be in his hands which shall help to these payements of ye great loan', mentioning Fanshawe and giving further advice on the collection of money, one page, folio, integral leaf addressed in a secretary's hand to 'M. Robert Petre, Auditor of her Ma[jest]ies Recepte' (seal tear, slight discolouration). Cecil was appointed Lord High Treasurer in 1572, and in this office manifested an extraordinary capacity for work, methodical habits and, as here, attention to the minutest detail of the activities of his subordinates.