Edward Walsingham (died 1663) was an English royalist author, known for his verse of the First English Civil War and Arcana Aulica, often wrongly attributed to Sir Francis Walsingham. Life According to Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, Walsingham was related to the Earl of Bristol. In the preface to the Arcana Aulica Walsingham is described in 1652 as one who, "though very young, in a little time grew up, under the wings and favour of the Lord Digby, to such credit with the late king that he came to be admitted to his greatest trusts, and was prevented only by the fall of the court itself from climbing there into an eminenter height." He became secretary to Lord Digby soon after the outbreak of the civil war, possibly in September 1643, when Digby himself was appointed one of the principal secretaries of state after the death of Lucius Cary, 2nd Viscount Falkland. On 31 October Digby was made high steward of Oxford University, and through his influence Walsingham was created M.A. While the court was at Oxford, Walsingham lodged in Magdalen College, Oxford and began writing. Walsingham conducted much of the correspondence in Digby's various intrigues, and during the latter's absence from Oxford was in constant communication with him. More than once important letters from Walsingham were intercepted by parliament and published. Walsingham was present at the battle of Cheriton on 29 March 1644, as is made clear by his eyewitness description of the wounding of Sir John Smith at that battle, and his accompanying the dying Smith to Andover. He was at Oxford as late as 1645, but probably before its surrender in June 1646 he escaped to Henrietta Maria's court in France. There, perhaps under the persuasions of Sir Kenelm Digby, he became a Roman Catholic convert. In 1648 Digby was reported to have discarded him, and in the same year he was sent to Ireland; his object seems to have been either to induce the Duke of Ormonde to grant freedom of worship and other Roman Catholic claims, or to secure them by negotiating an understanding between the Catholics and the Independents. Sir Edward Nicholas felt he was unable to keep his missions secret. He was brushed off by Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara. Walsingham returned to Paris. In 1652, he was involved in a Catholic intrigue to remove Hyde from Charles II's service, but for