accept this enterprise yet notwithstanding it was resolved it should go forward and that the bills of credit for the said some of 100000 are already here if this advertisement prove as true as others that heretofore have bin given by him to my Predecessor then are they not to be neglected By another means I was advertised that Stewkley in Spain presented an instrument unto the King there not onely subscribed with the names of the most part of the Irish Noblity but also the names of divers in England of good quality ready to be at his devotion I learned further that of late fithence the Lord Setons comming hither there hath bin some greater conference between the Spanish Ambassador and the Ambassador of Scotland Further I learned that the greater part of those that are landed in Ireland were Levied by the Earle of Argile in the King of Spains name within the said Earles Government being promised pay by the said King of Spains Ministers they were imbarked at the Mule or streight of Kenutire One Skeldon an ordinary servant of the Q. of Scots arrived lately here with Letters of some importance as it is thought for that oftentimes he hath had accesse to the Court. Thus having made your Honour privy of all such things as I could learne I most humbly take my leave At Paris the 8 of Febr. 1571. To the Right Honourable Sir William Cecil her Majesties principall Secretary SIr I thought good to make you privie to this private Letter directed privatly to your self of certain talke passed between the Queens Mother and me which I desired her by protestation that she should receive at my hands as from a private person not having commission as a publike person to say any more then that which concerned le Roches attempt I protested unto her that the onely mark that I would shoot at during my service here should be to continue so much as might lie in so mean a Minister good Amitie between the two Crowns as a thing profitable unto them both And therefore I desired her Majesty first to consider how necessary it was for the safety of both Realms to have a firm league concluded between the two Princes Then to weigh how fit this present was for the same Touching the first point I shewed her that though France enjoyed now through Gods great goodness a generall peace with all his neighbours yet that it should so continue it was not to be looked for And that therefore in time of peace politique Princes were not unmindfull that after peace wars commonly follow for that the earth is subject to alterations In which consideration they commonly weigh the neighbours who are by consequence of reason likest to attempt any thing against them vvhich they see evidently to be that Prince that is nearest by situation and in forces mightiest against vvhom besides ordinary forces vvhich they have alvvaies prepared they seek to strengthen themselves and the Princes confederats Novv if your Majesty by this measure of mightiness and nearness measure your neighbours you shall then find that it is England whose conderatie is chiefly to be desired he that thinketh himself mightiest will be well advised before he deal with each of you Touching the other point I told her that I thought this time most fit first for that there was in both Princes a like affection being both of their own proper inclinations peaceably inclined with conformity of disposition as one of the best knots of assured friendship Then because there reigneth some unkindness between other 〈◊〉 neighbours with whom her Predecessors heretofore had both long and good unity These circumstances well weighed I concluded with her that the time was now fit and the thing it self most fit to be prosecuted and that her Majesty was most fit to bring the same to good effect as she in whom the King as he had just cause so to do reposed the direction of his whole Government To this she replied That first at my hands both the King and she did look for nothing else but good offices tending to the maintenance of good Amity Secondarily that as at present they enjoyed peace so they had good hope of the maintenance of the same generally with all their neighbours Lastly that she hoped that the Amity between the Q. my Mistris was of all parties very sincerely meant Notwithstanding if she should desire to enter into some streighter league she was of opinion nothing would be more gratefull to the King To this I answered that I was glad to receive at her hands so good hope of the Kings inclination in that behalf This in effect was that that passed between her Majesty and me The reasons that moved me to use this speech were these first for that Spain seemeth not to be at this present very well inclined towards the Q. my Mistris Secondarily for that the King hath no great liking of Spain as before advertised Lastly for that I was advertised how that the Admirall had advised lately the King and Q. Mother by his Letters to seek to strengthen himself by confederacy with the Princes of Germany and the Q. Majesty my Mistris Sir having now made you acquainted with my speech as also with the reasons that moved me thereto I shall most humblie desire you according to your promise to advertise me of my errors either in this or otherwise in this my present service which you shall perceive that I will accept in so good part as you shall think your advise well bestowed and thereby to be better able to serve her Majestie with more skill In my other Letters as that vvhich vvas to be shevved to her Majestie I forbeare to set dovvn the Popes Nuntios persvvasions he used tovvards a disswading Monsieur from the Q. vvhich were First she was an Heretique Secondarily that she was old by whom he could scarse hope after issue And lastly that England which he said he was well assured vvas the mark he chiefly shot at might be atchieved and that right easily by svvord to his great Honour and lesse inconvenience then making so unfit a match Thus you see Sir hovv they make the accompt vvithout their host I hope they shall have more vvill then povver to hurt us and that God vvill still reserve our poore Country for a sanctuary for his poor persecuted flock To vvhose tuition I commit you most humbly taking my leave From Paris the 8 of Febr. 1571. To the Right Honourable my very good Lord the Earle of Leicester SIthence I last wrote unto your Lordship which was the third of this moneth I have learned nothing fit for your knowledge saving of some practise that concerneth Ireland wherein I referre your Lordship to Mr. Secretaries Letters Touching the other matter they think here you do but dally and though no overture hath bin made notwithstanding I find this already hath bin done underhand if the matter go not forward will breed some disdaine for that they take their
Q. of treason and yet we fear our Q. will scant agree to it Great suit is made by the nether house to have execution of the Duke but I see no likelihood I have no leisure therefore I commit you to God In haste this 21 of May 1572. Yours assured Ro Leicester To the Right Honourable his very good Lord the Earl of Leicester YOur Lordships of the 21. I have received touching your servant I shall not need say more then was contained in my last Letters Here at this present we are altogether entertained with Flanders matters having received certain news from thence that certain by order from Count Lodovick are seised of Valentiennes and Monts in Henault where it is said the Court remaineth and that from thence he sent Mr. de la Nue in great diligence towards Bruxels with six hundred horses where if he hap to find the Duke de Alva he hopeth to make short Wars the Town of Bruxels being better affected to the Count then to the D. It is said here that Doway and Lisle should also be taken by certain appointed by him for the purpose but that is not certain If the Duke of Alva retire to Antwerp as it is thought he will then those of judgement here are of opinion that the whole Country will revolt The heads of those that he doth imploy of his Country are Ianlis de la Nue Buckanans the number of his horsemen are twelve hundred the most part of them Gentlemen Of footmen he hath only five thousand the most part of them Gascoins It will shortly be seen to what issue this Tragedy will come If occasion so fall out I mean to advertise often thinking it necessary for her Majestie to know how things proceed there and yet when I consider how things of moment tending to safety proceed at home I know not what to judge necessary unless it be for every man particularly to provide for the cross And so leaving further to trouble your Lordshop at this present I most humbly take my leave From Paris the 29 of May 1571. Your Honours to command Fr. Walsingham To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh AS I wrote unto your Lordship in my last Letters that I thought it necessary for her Majesty to know how things proceeded in Flanders so I thought good to put the same in execution at this present upon certain advertisements lately come from thence A Currier past this way as I am credibly informed the 27 of this month sent by the D. of Longueville to the King with this news that on Saterday last the 24 of the same Valentiennes should be taken and the next day after Monts in Henault and that from thence with great celerity the C. Lodovick should send five hundred horse to Bruxels under the conduct of Mr. de la Nue where if he hap to find the D. of Alva it will grow to short Wars in respect of the intelligence they have with the Town who undertook with the aid of 100 soldiers to take the D. prisoner if he retire to Antwerp as it is thought he wil then is it likely that all the whole Country will revolt I the rather credit this news for that it agreeth with the plot laid by C. Lodovick before his departure from hence who told me that he hoped to give the Duke of Alva an alarm ere 8 daies came to an end in place where he should least look for it There will shortly be great guess given what wil be the event of these matters The Prince of Orange most assuredly is onward on his way with 4000 horse whose enterprise on the other side is like to have the better success upon this good beginning laid by his brother I hope things will be so ordered as others shall not grow over great wherein I have been no evil instrument I send your Lordship by this bearer a note of the names of those of quality which doe accompany the Marshal as also the number which I had sent before with this bearer to deliver a note thereof to such as shall be appointed by her Majestie to receive the Marshal at Dover M. de Battaliâ— who was the third Commissioned is departed this world who before his death did much lament the dissembling of his religion and advised to resort to the reformed Churchs and to bring up his children in the Religion professed in the same I forgat in my last that Mr. Montmorency at the request of certain Italians whom he favoureth moved me to write unto her Majestie that it would please her to write a Letter unto his Master desiring him to write unto his Ambassador at Rome to deal with his friends there to procure the delivery of Guidi Giovetti who is imprisoned there by the Inquisitors a thing that his service done unto the Crown of England did as it were crave at her Majesties hands who he knew being naturally pittifully inclined would do any thing that might seem to tend to his delivery For mine own opinion I think her Majesties Letters unto Queen Mother would do a great deal more good who by the Duke of Florence his means may bring it the more easily to pass especially this Pope being his Creature And so leaving to trouble your Lordship any further I humbly take my leave From Paris May 29. 1571. Yours Honours to command F. Walsingham To our trusty and well-beloved Francis Walsingham Esq our Ambassador Resident with our good brother the French King TRrusty and well-beloved we greet you well Where in the last Treaty concluded at Blois betwixt our trusty and well-beloved Councellor Sir Th. Smith and you as our Ambassador and the Duke of Montmorency and other of the Commissioners and Deputies of the French King our good brother it was amongst other things covenanted That within four months after the date of the said Treaty the same should be by us ratified authorized and confirmed by our Letters Patents signed with our own hand and sealed with our great Seal and delivered to the Ambassador of the French King having authority to require the same For this purpose we would first have you to understand of some of the Kings Councel or of the Queen Mother the Kings pleasure at what time you might attend on him to receive the same ratification For the receiving whereof you shall say you are authorized by our Letters directed to the said King being in your custody which we therefore do now send you and so you shall at time convenient receive it and safely send it to us affirming that we on our part are also ready to deliver the like ratification to his Ambassador whensoever he shall require the same Given under our signet at our Mannor of St. James the 26 of May 1571. ELIZABETH ELizabethae Dei gratia Angliae Franciae Hiberniae Regina fidei Defensor c. Fideli praedilectissimo Consiliario nostro Francisco Walsingham Legato nostro apud serenissimum
1572. Your Lordships to Command Fr. Walsingham To the right Honoâ—rable my very good Lord the Lord Treasurer IT may please your Lordship to understand that B. who hath great conference with B. G. in matters of greatest importance did discover to a friend of his who imparted the same unto me that he learned at his hands that the 19 of this moneth Queen Mother held a secret Councel at which was present onely the Cardinall of Lorain and two others In the which it was debated what course was to be taken for the appeasing of their troubles here And after long deliberation it was concluded That untill such time as England might be kept occupied there could grow no through redress here without hazarding of the whole estate and that therefore it was requisite now to yeild to them of Rochel any reasonable kind of surety they would require as also to other Towns in France that would not yeild And rather then fail to yeild to them so far as to let them have the liberty of their Religion to suffer the Nobility of the Country that inhabit near the Towns to live in the same to keep such Garrisons in the same as they may think fit for their surety with condition that the said Nobility shall deliver some of their children to be Hostages with the King for his assurance that the said Towns shall be kept to his use And amongst others it was agreed that the offers should be made to Count Mango to retire himself to Rochel with condition to yeild his son to be a Pledge These offers they think to be so large as they make full account they will be accepted This thing being done it is then concluded to send under the conduct of the Marquis de Maine 1000 shot which thing shall be done as proceeding from him himself in respect that he is the Queen of Scots kinsman and disavowed by the King who shall land at a place called Aier shall after they have joyned with the Qu. party repair to Edenburgh where Liddington and Grange Kirkaldie have promised to deliver up the Castle unto such as the King shall appoint upon recompence to receive some living here in France there leaving a sufficient Garrison they shall besides fortifie themselvs in the town of Loâ—ghbreton at Brochty besides Dundee at Haymouth And that this being done the Duke of Guyse and Chevalies shal come over with other forces to procure the delivery of the Queen of Scots such of the Queens friends as are in England wil incontinently take Arms who do give out to them here that her party and forces are so great there that having good Leaders munition they shal be able to make their party good enough to deliver the Queen of Scots in despite of her Majesty In the mean time till the King hath compounded with those Towns that now hold out they are resolved that the D. of Chastelrâ—â—lt and the â— of Huntly shall seem to yeild to any composition that the Regent will have them onely to keep out that her Majesty shall send thither no forces in assisting of the Regent which thing they have advertisements from their Ambassador that she hath meaning to do And for the communicating of those matters unto the Queens party there it is determined that Viraque shall depart thither forthwith he shall also have commission to bear the Regent in hand that the King here doth not mislike of the present government there nor that he is chosent Regent and to use all such like speeches as may entertain him for a time untill such things here be setled He shall also have charge to offer him the entertainment of men of Arms to all such young Gentlemen as are serviceable as well to them of one part as to those of the other Other particularities he said he learned of him which he might not utter and were of great consequence The Gentleman to whom this was discovered being a Scot is one whom I do very well credit and for that he is thought to incline towards the Queen of Scots the party above named did deal the more frankly with him and because I thought it necessary for her Majesty to understand so much I thought good to send this Messenger of purpose withall and have promised for his recompence to have 6 pounds 13 shillings 4 pence For that mine own men are not returned I am driven to use him If her Majesty desire to hear often from hence then must there be order taken for the sending back of those I send thither And so leaving c. At Paris the 24 of January 1572. Your Honors to command Fr. Walsingham Viraque is already departed and commanded to use all expedition possible To the right honourable Mr. Francis Walsingham Esquire her Majesties Ambassador in France SIR as Dido said Non ignara mali miser is succâ—rrere disco so I who know what things they be whch Ambassadors do most desire will not let you want that intelligence which I can give you by your man I send you the occurrents of the Scot. By my L. of Worcesters instruction you shal understand what is to be answered to all questions likely to be moved either to you or to him yet that all things might be perfect I have sent you a Peer of my L. Treasurers sent to me because the French Ambassador shewed the â— â—ajesty that the Emperours Master of the Horse who cometh for the Emperesse doth intend to hold the Child himself The Queens Majesty to save money will have my Lord do so too except as in the Instructions The childs name as the Ambassador told her Majesty should have the name of both the Godmothers and so be called Mary Elizabeth so neither shal strive with others for the name This is all I can say for that matter And for your return and successor as much as I could know I wrot to you by your servant Iacomo We have had intelligence lately from Rochel that there was a servant of the late Cardinall Chastillans put to death there for going about and conspiring to betray the town of Rochel and the same as he went to execution confessed that it was he that poisoned the same Cardinal in Eâ—gland whereby it may appear that this design of murdering had the plot laid long before and a man may doubt whether the Queen of Navarre passed out the same way I thank you for your notes which you sent me of the Comet or new Starre but in the placing of it your Astronomers and ours differ exceedingly Yours do place it in the 29 of Piscis and ours in the 7 degree of Taurus so they vary one whole sign and 8 degrees Your printed Book goeth upon it 〈…〉 If any hath more boldly written of it in print I pray you let me see it Our men do not deny but that he riseth in that degree of Piscis or the first of â— but it is one thing to rise with the degree
is this day at Provence five leagues besides Chasteau Thiery It is advertised that the Emperour doth by little little amend of his disease having been carried to his Garden to take the ayre but no assurance of his full recovery The Cardinal d Este is returned to Rome having been met with the Duke of Sora the Popes son They do prepare ten Galleys at Naples besides others at Genua to transport the Empress into Spain Prospero Colonna is appointed General of the Men of War which are levied in the Dutchies of Milan and Tuscan There hath been a quarrel betwixt the Spaniards and Gentlemen Millanoises The King of Spain hath been received in Lisbona and held there his estate called Cortes There is a deprivation passed against the Bishop of Guarda for following the partie of Don Anthonio The Abbot of Bisegno Agent for the Catholike King at Rome hath with the Cardinal of Como sollicited the Pope for to intreat the French King to withdraw his brother from the enterprise of Flanders so as the Pope is resolved to send two Legats to the French King to continue the peace between the French King and the Catholike King Onchibli is departed from Constantinople with twenty five Galleys towards Affrica They advertise out of Spain that the Corn doth fail them this Harvest so as they doubt of famine c. Your Honours to Command Henry Cobham A son bon ami Mr. François de Walsingham M Onsieur de Walsingham j'ay une extreme contentement quand la Royne m a voula tant favouriser de vous avoir choisy pour faire ce royage vers le Roy mon Seignieur et frere me faisant bien par cela cognoistre les effectes de ses bonnes voluntés me comblant de tant d'obligations que je ne m'en pouroy jamais retirer si ce n'est par le continuel desir et inviolable affection que je ay de luy faire service Et ce suistres-aise de m'estre trouve y a propos que n'estant que fort peuesloigne de votre chemni vous me passies veoir sans perie de beaucoup de temps vous priant que se suit La Fere en Tartinois ou je seray aujourdhuy a coucher et croyez que vous seres le tres-bien venu comme iceluy que tient l'un de primiers bieux apres de celle que je honore et estime plus que Princesse que soit sus la terre et que tiens pour l'un de mes mieux amis Vous attendant en bon devotion de supplieray le Createur qu'il vous ayd Monsieur de Walsingham en sa tes Saincte et digne garde a Chasteau Thiery le dernier jour de Iuliel 1581. Votre bien affectione ami François To the right honorable Sir Francis Walsingham SIR The sending of this away by Mr. Mills to you moveth me to accompany him with a few lines We here have nothing to write unto you about the Negotiation but doe now from this day forward look to hear from you whereupon I think her Majestie will have some matter to be occupied withall VVe hear nothing of Monsieurs proceedings but the Spanish Ambassador warneth that the Prince of Parma is so strong and so bent to fight with Monsieur as he pretendeth that at the least Monsieur will forbear to adventure his own person He did yesterday by her Majesties appointment speak at Leicester House with my Lord of Ley and me to expostulate for her Majesties refusal to speak with him requiring to know the cause and being answered That we doubted not but that he oftentimes had been made privy that it was for that her Majestie had not received any Letters from the King Catholique for her satisfaction in the case of Invasion in Holland c. He saith that he never promised to procure Letters from the King neither was he ever required of her Majesties behalf but the Speeches were alwaies delivered to him that her Majestie would not speak with him untill she might be satisfied of those things in the case of Holland but saith it was not required that he should send to the King for any such satisfaction and yet he did for his own part write to the King and upon answer from the King he did let her Majestie understand that the Collection of the Souldiers the Arming and Victualing of the Ships and men were wholly by the directions of the Pope whom he could not deny and he had also cause to think that her Majestie meant not that he should procure Letters from the King for that Mr. Wilks said that her Majestie would send a Gentleman to the King or else write to him by the way of trade And for confirmation hereof he said that he heard that a kinsman of the Earl of Arundels and Master of the â— whom we took to be Tilney was named to go into Spain By the way he saith that you told him in presence of the Councel at Nonsuch that her Majestie had no League with the King of Spain but the States of the Low Countries I told him I was assured he mistook you for you might say that the League which was the greatest was with the Emperor Charls and so with the King of Spain in respect of the Dutchy of Burgundy and the Low-Countries but he flung away after his hot manner Now to end these matters for the discovery of a multitude of Popish subjects I think Mr. Beal writeth to you of a number of choice persons who being at least but fined upon that que Dam noble wil yield a great sum of money My Lord Grey and Tyrwick were about a Peace the 29 of July finding my Lord Deputies forces ready to enter one way and Sir Nicholas Malt by another way offering to my Lord Deputy to abide his Order for the matters between Odonell and the whole Countrie he hath wasted pretending to set upon Odonels son begotten of Tirleghes wives daughter which he had by Mac Connel by Ashton that came from Ireland we secretly understand that the new Earl Arrig with a great number are determined to keep Darbique from his intentions against the Religion and the King doth secretly assent thereto whether Ashton be deceived time will prove The King hath sent to Seffade 200 souldiers to enable him to compel his people to answer to Justice upon demand of England and great promises are made in the Kings behalf to keep amity with her Majestie And thus almost wearied I end expecting shortly to hear of your progress in your Ambassage which they there may enterprise a regress or a recess Her Majestie is in very good health thanked be God Greenwich where I am tyed by your absence and yet do little good Augâ—st 6. 1581. Your assured friend Will. Burleigh To her Majestie August 6. IT may please your most excellent Majestie I have imparted in my Letters directed to my Lord Treasurer the substance of that which passed
Challenges But yet she must now being a Widow and sole Governor of her Kingdom of Scotland in these causes have the presence of some of her Nobilitie or Counsellours of the Scotish Nation at whose coming she would confirm the said Treatie This was not much misliked of us Shortly some of her Nobilitie and Counsellours came to her from Scotland and then being eâ—tsoons required in most friendly manner to be remembred of her promise by the Ambassador having Commission so to do and offering to deliver unto her the reciprocal of our part under our Great-Seal it was again deferred until she should her self return into Scotland which she said should shortly be and then she would not fail to perform it well though these delays were not convenient to nourish friendship but rather to ingender suspicion with some other practises then discovered yet in respect of our natural desire to have her come into her own Kingdom and then to live neighbourly with us we forbore to shew any great offence for those great delays And when she returned into Scotland we eâ—tsoons sent to her and demanded the same again with offer of all manner of good friendship which being again deferred upon pretence she was not fully settled in her Realm we forbore also for that time though not without great cause of misliking and then in the mean season following notwithstanding many good offices used on our part by sending sundry times both Messages and Ambassadors to visit her to offer unto her all good offices It chanced that a young Nobleman our near Kinsman brought up in our Court named the Lord Darlie was secretly intised to pass into Scotland upon other pretences for private suits for Lands and such like And there without our knowledge according to the same former practises whereof we were not altogether ignorant though we would not seem so jealous of the same he was suddenly accepted by that Q. to be affied in contract of Marriage with her as one thought to be a meet person to work troubles in our Realm for her advantage yea contrary to the advice of the wiser sort of her Councel and consequently contrary to our will and liking was married to her in all haste And after that it was there devised to make him an instrument to work danger to us and our Estate by sundry practises not only with certain of our subjects but also with some forein persons as far forth as the power of the same Q. and her said husband being our borne Subject could extend In which their doings sundry their practises were discovered to us and made frustrate And yet after that nevertheless when the said Queen had a Son of that marriage we were of nature moved to set aside all unkindnesses and did send thither an Ambassador a person of honour the Earl of â—edford to assist the Christening of her Son to whom we also were Godmother At which time unkindness being known to be between her and her husband although he had grievously offended us we having compassion of the unnatural discord betwixt them and fearing some event thereof caused our said Ambassador at that time to use all the good means he could with her to repair the same which he was not able to do such was become her misliking of her husband although in him on the other side as we heard say was found all manner of lowliness meet for him to recover her favour And then also we required her to perform that which in Justice and Honor she was bound to do and had so often delayed which was to confirm the Treatie afore concluded sending unto her at the same time under our hand and seal the reciprocal for our part But then she began to alledge a matter not before heard of which was that from some words in a certain part of the Treaty it was doubted that she might be prejudiced in such right as she pretended to be due to her next after us and the children of our bodie whereof we being advertised caused it to be answered that if there were any such words we were content they should be rased out of the Treaty and she should not be moved to confirm any such Clause But that answer being not accepted which was very strange and unreasonable a new matter of delay was invented pretending that she would send some of hers shortly into England to treat with us thereupon and so finish that which we did demand vvhereof indeed nothing ever follovved vvell although vve had these great causes of miscontentation as indeed indifferent persons may well perceive and did novv clearly see vvhereunto these delays did tend very ungrateful and not vvithout danger if vve should not regard our self vvell yet vvhen a miserable calamitie ensued shortly after to her that the King her husband vvith vvhom of late she vvas grievously offended vvas cruelly strangled and horriblie murthered and the principal murtherer named the Earl Bothewell having a vertuous lavvful vvife of a great house living because suddenly her husband being first immediately upon the murther committed and directly and openly imputed to him advanced by her to high degrees of honor and estates of lands vvho nevertheless vildly misused her to the great grief of all her subjects and friends vve vvere stricken vvith invvard compassion of this her great extream miseries and infamie vvhich vvas spread upon her and sent to her special Messengers not then to request her as vve had done before to confirm the Treaty but to have regard unto her honour and to relinquish such an odible person being the known murtherer of her husband an unlawful person to be married to her and generally so evil a man in all vices as he had the common name to excel all others in iniquitie wherein no advice of ours could prevail But in the end he being hated of all her Estates and seeking by force to subdue them that intended to prosecute the Murtherers was forced to flie the Realm And leaving her lamentably in the field desolate she was conducted from thence to a place of restraint where she refused to renounce the said Murtherer whilest she was thereby in present danger to have her life taken away from her by furie of her Nation as she well knoweth We by speedy Messages and other kind of earnest means used towards them that were most irritated against her saved her life A benefit such as she never received the like of any worldly creature and full glad we were that God gave us such power and disposition of mind to bestow so great a benefit of her who nevertheless had offered us the greatest worldly injuries that could be devised It followed that when she had found means to escape to her libertie whereof we were very glad she sell again by Gods suffering into a second calamitie as dangerous as the former for having attempted by force to overcome the party that adhered to her son that was then crowned and accepted King by the States
thence a young Boy the son of Iames Fitzmorice a Rebel Given under our Signet at our Pallace of Westminster the 11 of February 1571. in the thirteenth year of our Reign To the Right Honourable Sir William Cecill her Majesties principal Secretary SIr the 14 of this moneth I presented the Earl of Rutland to the King at Madrill taking opportunity thereto by preferring certain Merchants causes The King embraced him and told him that coming from her Majestie with her Letters of Commendations he could not but be very welcome and should receive at his hands from time to time during his abode here any honour or favour he could shew him and as I was departing he called me unto him and asked me what was done touching the Queen of Scots matter I told him That of late I heard nothing saving by certain Letters that there were Commissioners come out of Scotland from both parties so that as I thought the matter was fallen now to some Treaty He willed me to recommend the matter in his name to the Queens Majestie and to tell her that he doubted not but by her good means it should grow to some speedy end as should be to her honour and his contentment and so promising his Majestie not to fail in that behalf I departed for that present I shall therefore desire your Honour to inform her Majestie thereof as also to procure at her hands what answer I shall make in this behalf Touching the state of things here I learn secretly by the F. that the House of Guise seeketh to make a match between the Cardinal of Este and the Kings Sister for that the Duke of Ferrara hath no issue and by common opinion is like to have none which thing they seek the more earnestly to impeach the likelihood of marriage between the Prince of Navarre and the said Kings Sister The 22 of this moneth my Lord of Buckhurst is looked for here his lodging and all other things fit for his entertainment being provided at the Kings charges if promise be kept The new Queen is now well recovered and removeth from Madril to this Town the 20 of this moneth so that I purpose my Lord of Buckhurst shall have access unto her whereof she is over dangerous a thing not very well liked of this Nation Touching la Roches attempt I can learn nothing more then that I have advertised neither can I learn that in Britain there is any preparation of ships but of such as belong unto Merchants And thus leaving to trouble your Honour I most humbly take my leave From Paris the eighteenth of February 1571. To the Right Honorable Sir William Cecil her Majesties principal Secretary SIr I would be loath in any Letter that is to be shewed unto her Majestie to make mention of any thing that may any way concern Monsieur for that her Majestie doth suspect that I am inclined that way in respect of his Religion and therefore Sir I shall desire you to use this Letter as private to your self and as for my inclination to Monsieur for that I hear he may be drawn to be of any religion I see so great necessitie of her marriage as if it may be her Majesties contentment and the benefit of the Realm by judgement of those that are fit to deal and advise in a matter of so great weight I can be content as becometh me to subscribe the same The matters that I thought to make you privie of in this private Letter are these First I understand that Monsieur not long sithence hath given out certain speeches to those that are nearest about him that he maketh no great account to match with the Queens Majestie through the perswasions of the House of Guise and the Spanish Ambassador who do not stick to use many dishonorable arguments to disswade him from the same Besides they use some arguments of danger towards us making the conquest of England a matter of no great consequence in respect of the intelligence they have there no small number of evil affected Subjects and of those some of no mean quality The A. of late had talk with touching the opinion of the enterprise he shewed me that he whosoever he was that should attempt the matter should fail of his reckoning like him that made accompt without his host The A himself seemeth to to have no great liking thereof but seemeth to be very well inclined towards The Spanish A. to divert them from Flanders would be glad to set them in hand in England and yet would he be loath that France should have any further interest in England then it hath And as for the House of Guise unless they mean to make an unnatural match between Monsieur and their Neece they would be loath in respect of her possibilitie that he should have any further foot in England then he hath but they both think it easilier atchieved by Marriage then by Sword aud would be glad to divert him from the way of likelihood and to direct him to that way that carrieth least possibilitie These being the things I thought worthy of advertisement at this present I leave further to trouble your Honour most humbly take my leave From Paris the Eighteenth of Februarie 1571. To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Earl of Leicester MY very good Lord as there is nothing more desired of one sort then two marriages the one between the Queen my Mistress and Monsieur the other between the Prince of Navarre and the Kings sister so is there nothing more impugned by the contrary part wherein the Popes Nuncio and the Spanish Ambassador do not fail to do what lieth in them for the impeachment thereof And in this behalf they want not what assistance the House of Guise and their adherents can yield For the let of the first they alledge Heresie For the let of the latter they secretly seek to match between the Cardinal of Este and the Kings said Sister for that the Duke of Ferara his Brother hath neither issue nor by common judgement is like to have any This is rather intended then any just cause of hope conceived that it will come so to pass for that as I hear Queen Mother seemeth not to like thereof Touching my Lord of Rutlands access to the King and his Brethren I leave you to the report of his own Letters My Lord of Buckhurst about the two and twentieth of this moneth is looked for here who as I suppose shall be honourably received and as honourably used during the time of his abode here Thus for the rest referring your Lordship to this inclosed of common Occurrents I most humbly take my leave At Paris the seventeenth of February 1571 Your Honours to Command Fr. Walsingham To the Right Honorable Sir Francis Walsingham the Queens Majesties Ambassador with the French King SIr if my sickness alone were considered or my irksome business laid thereto perused I cannot think but you would excuse my not writing
and our Country is That if the pretended match between her Majestie and Monsieur should not go forward then nothing can be so dangerous as her delivery for here they stand upon this point that neither the King can be safe nor the Realm â—uiet unlesse Monsieur be provided of some other harborage The places likely to be attained and fit for his calling where they would place him are two England and Scotland if England refuse then is Scotland more ready to receive him This well weighed though your Lorship with the rest of the Comissioners are both wise and of great experience notwithstanding so full of danger is the Cause as no resolution can possibly grow to you that shall be void of perill I pray God therefore in this hard case that that course may be taken wherein is least perill and most safety for her Majesty At this present there is no matter here worthy of your Lordships knowledge only I am to trouble you with mine own particular estate my charges grow here to be so great through the excessive deareness of the place as necessity forceth me at this present to make my moan unto your Lordship and to desire your aid that I may not be as I am overburdened whereby the care how to live may hinder the onely care I ought to have how to serve I have forborn hitherto to expresse my grief to the end that my Lord of Buckhurst's report might add some credit to my complaint And though my service cannot deserve so much as I am allowed yet my place and my estate requireth consideration to be had of the present time for otherwise I shall not be able to do that which shall be for her Majestites Honour and service when men of livelihood were imployed in this calling alwaies change of time bread change and of Allowance If any time therefore required consideration this chiefly for that never was the like dearth here and if any mans estate was to be weighed none more then mine that am far inferior in ability to any other that ever supplied this place I will not longer entertain your Lordship with this private cause but commit it to your good consideration assuring my self of any furtherance that you can give me And so leaving further to trouble your Honour at this present I most humbly take my leave From Paris the 9 of March. Your Honours to command Fr. Walsingham To my very loving friend Mr. Francis Walsingham Esq the Q. Majesties Ambassador in France SIr I have received your Letters both by Mr. Wigmore and Beale as by Hâ—rcourt I did late advertise you And having made her Majesty partaker both by hearing them read and by her own reading I am in this sort directed to answer you To the first of the second that is to that of the 13 of Febr. brought by Beale her Majestie maketh good accompt of the person of him â— mean the 36 T s 4 t 10 30-0 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the intelligence which he gave you but it breedeth some doubt in her that the certainty can be no otherwise understood in that it is informed you that the practise continueth by late dispatching of an Englishman of high stature and lean of visage wherein is such incertainty as no man can thereby attain either to discover the practise or withstand it by apprehending the party and surely Sir her Majesty cannot but think but they that can attain to the knowledge of the practise may aswell attain to the knowledge of the parties name for they that are trusted with the matter may be trusted with the persons and so her Majestie wisheth you to endevour your self with such as you shall think good to come to the knowledge of some persons by stay of whom such a matter might be deciphered For mine own part I think it likely that these practises are devised but without more apparence I see no evident reason to move me that in the time when the Queen of Scots her self and her Factors are in hope to be delivered by treatie and with the favour of our Queen there should be any attempt otherwise for her escape wherein how cunning soever men be in device yet the execution standeth upon many adventures and any mischance hapning might breed ruin to the whole enterprise I have been acquainted with many of these like advertisement But surely I never found any substance in them in the event but yet with them and without them I ever find it good to be circumspect I write not to have you forbear from hearing and reporting of any the like but my experience serveth to move you to procure the givers of such things to discover the matters more certainly and so they are of more value The message sent you from Rochel of some dangerous intent upon Ireland from Spain hath more apparence for that we also hear it from Spain confirmed and it is the same that before I advertised you concerning Stukelie I also smell some purpose of the Count Lodowicks coming with his ships toward the Low-Countries to accompanie the designe for his brother the Prince of Orange whereof I would look for some better successe if I had not understanding thereof so many waies for the force of that enterprize should consist in suddenness and secresie which are not like to take place Thus much for your first Letter Now to the second brought by Wigmore the Q. Majestie liketh well of your proceedings with the Spanish Ambassador there and marvelleth that he should be so coy with you considering the reports of his former curtesies but by likelihood some other accident moved it which by you next speech will be better discovered The cause why that Ambassador could not be answered sooner of the matter whereof he advertised her Majestie from the Duke of Alva was for that her Majestie could not sooner hear thereof from the Duke If you shall find it convenient to impart matters to the said Ambassador you may let him know of these things following One Monsieur Senegen a Low-Countrie-man is comming to end the Treaty for restâ—tution on both sides of the Merchants goods There are lately come into the ports of the West certain Hulks laden from Spain and Portugall driven by Tempest And because they should be well used the Ambassador here for the King though in other things he be not used hath been dealt withall to name certain strangers Merchants to resort to the ports and they have speciall Authoritie from us to put the same in all good safety and that no dealing shall be by any to the impairing of the said goods And this speciall favour is shewed because the time of restitution is at hand And therefore we mean not to give any cause of quarreling There were also certain other ships of Warre that came from Spain being of the company which conducted the Queen of Spain into Spain which being furnished with Souldiers were favourably entertained and permitted to depart at their pleasure Of
I as you know are to Protestants and Catholiques either of these two would be glad to be assured of Monsieur In reason now it is to be weighed with which of these two he is to joyn with the Protestants he shall favour those whom the Queen especially favoureth he shall concur with her in the maintenance of the present State and Government he shall gain the favour of her Majesties Councellours in whom she reposeth her greatest trust and lastly he shall continue the Realm in repose and quietness Iâ— on the other side he persist in his Religion first he shall not gain the Catholiques unless they may have the like libertie as he himself enjoyeth Secondarily they are already devoted unto the Queen of Scots and so misliking nothing more then of his Marriage doubting thereby to grow the prejudice of her Title whereby we may conclude that by all likelihood by having of it he shall not joyn the good wills of the Catholiques unless they may participate with him in like liberty and on the other side it will breed misliking of him with the Protestants doubting the exercise of his Religion will breed some unquietness in the State and consequently he will be misliked of both which inconvenience of misliking I wished him to perswade Monsieur well to weigh Touching the inconvenience that would grow to the Queen I shewed him the same would rise three manner of ways First by breach of Law Secondly by offence of her good Subjects and Thirdly by the encouragement of evil Subjects Which said I if you will well weigh are of much more moment then any may happen to Monsieur he being only touched by relenting in honour the Queens Majestie my Mistress both in honour and safety he as a private person she being as a Monarch and a Prince whose Kingdoms were to participate any inconvenience that might befall unto her To this he replyed that his relenting in Religion being matter of conscience was an inconvenience of more weight then any that might happen to the Queen In the end after many replications on both sides to and fro he concluded that he was well assured that Monsieur in no case would be brought upon a sudden to yield to any change of Religion for no respect and yet that he doubted not but within a â—mall timâ— after the Match the same would easily be brought to pass without any great difficulty He willed me to consider how much this match was misliked by the Catholiques and how much on the other side desired of those of the Religion here and that in his opinion and conscience nothing could more further Religion throughout Christendom then this match To this I answered that her Majestie was on the other side fully bent to maintain her answer to the second Article or otherwise resolved not to proceed and so we ended This Conference was between us the day after Master Cavalcants arrival Master Cavalcant being present And so c. From Paris the eight and twentieth of April 1571. Your Honours to Command Fr. Walsingham To our right trusty and well-beloved Francis Walsingham Esquire our Ambassador Resident with our good Brother the French King ELIZABETH R. RIght trusty and well-beloved we greet you well By your Letters of the two and twentieth of April sent to the Lord of Burleigh we perceive in what sort you have dealt with the Irish Fugitive Morris fitz-Gibbons naming himself Archbishop of Cassel and having considered his request in a Paper subscribed with his hand we do not so much disallow his request to have our pardon and his restitution of his Bishoprick if we shall so please as the slender manner of his suit being void of all recognition of his offences and therewith his desire to repair out of that Countrey into Ireland without first coming hither where he ought by his submission to recover his pardon And therefore we would that you should inform him by Letters or by Message and upon your informations of his petitions we do not allow of his manner of so slender submission and petition And if he will not humblie require pardon for his offences and shew himself repentant and disposed to live hereafter in Ireland like a faithful Subject we mean not to bestow upon him either pardon or Bishoprick But if he will upon your warrant come hither into England he shall find us ready to shew him grace according to his humbleness in suing for it This you may let him know and express the same unto him in such sort as you shall see cause for except you shall understand certainly of him we understand there is no great account to be made of him as he pretendeth for himself neither is he of kin to the Earl of Desmond as he alledgeth nor of any credit in England And yet we are content to draw him home by means not dishonourable We do well allow of the Irish man whom you have imployed to attend upon him but whether it be Captain Thomas or Henry is not expressed and we would have you to assure him that he shall be considered by us And we pray you to advertise us in what sort you think best to have him rewarded Given under our Signet at our Pallace of Westminster the fifth of May 1571. and in the thirteenth year of our Reign To the Right Honourable Sir Francis Walsingham Ambassador for the Queens Majestie in France SIr for answer to your Letters concerning the Iewd Lozell of Ireland intituling himself Archbishop of Cassels the Queens Majesties will serve And for reward of the Irish man I pray you advertise your opinion by your next I hear by many means out of Spain that the King is therein rather counselled by Epimetheus then Prometheus he hath imployed much money upon Stewkley and now findeth him not worthie of any more Our Parliament is dailie new with child with projects for Laws that I was never more wearie Your Letters for the matters of D. hath driven us to the wall and particularly offended the Queens Majestie But the French Ambassador hath Letters from the Queen Mother and from de Foix wherein the matters are more tempered and I think he hath Commission to qualifie that hard Article that cannot be there digested It is too true that I perceive that you wrote to Master Hennage that some comfort here hath made you hardlier answered Indeed I wish things were not subject to sudden changes but Gods will be done for I cannot tell how to satisfie doubts but must refer me to his power to direct me As I received news out of Scotland so I send you them we have matters revealed which will shortly disgrace â—8 and offend â—2 and yet nothing shall be justly imployed to the Queens Majestie but that she is of meer necessity forced in extremities to use new remedies Yours assuredly William Burleigh To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh IT may please your Lordship to advertise her Majestie that according
that the same is also in the Latin tâ—â—gue as the service of the Church of Rome and so ordered to be used in our Universities And if the Latin tongue should not content it is also or may be translated into the French either of which his own ministers might use at his pleasure in places convenient whereby he might serve God devoutly and thereby not to be counted irreligious or an Atheist And if it should be objected that by this means it might be esteemed that he might make a change of his faith in matters of questions in Religion certainly herein it might also be truly answered that although we can be glad that all persons should by Gods inspiration change from ignorance or errour to knowledge and truth yet mean we not to prescribe to him or any person that they should at our motion or in respect of us change their Religion in matters of faith Neither doth the usage of the divine Service of England properly compell any man to alter his opinion in the great matters now in controversie in the Church Onely the usage thereof doth direct men daily to heare and read the Scriptures to pray to almighty God by daily use of the Psalter of David and of the ancient Prayers Anthemes and Collects of the Church even the same which the universall Church hath used and doth yet use Lastly if any one part of our Articles and Ceremonies should mislike him as surely we cannot conjecture of any such Yet therein the rest not being by him misliked some tolleration might be to forbear the same untill he might better consider thereof And to that which is said That we permit Ambassadors to use the Religion of Rome First we never made any grant thereof to any whereby in that respect his conscience is free But being suffered that is to say not molested therein by any of our ministers of our Laws the difference is apparent between another Princes servant comming onely but as a Messenger or tarrying to do Messages which is the office of an Ambassador and one that is to be our husband that is in respect of Religion our head and in order to be joynt Governor of our Realms and subjects with us that is to assist us in maintenance of our Laws in punishing offenders in giving good example to our Subjects in counselling us how to maintain the quietness of our estate and preserve to us and to himself for our sake the love which he shall find is born to us by our subjects And how contrary it shall be to all those that he may doe as Ambassadors are suffred to doe in whom neither we nor our People can have any such Opinion of carriage for us or them or for our Laws or quietness every person understandeth Yea commonly Subjects think the contrary of all Ambassadors of strange Princes though all give not like cause Thus you see what we think meet to answer at this time having some reasonable Causes to move us to think That if the matter be as earnestly meant as is by the Ambassadors words pretended they will not be so precise as to demand any conditions in the case of Religion whereof our estate may come in danger or our present quietness come in doubt And therefore you shall be the more earnest in setting forth the dangers that necessarily may follow The Ambassador hath required us to send you the rest of such demands as is meet for our part whereunto we were once inclined and have them in readiness But now we find it convenient first to understand the resolution of this matter of Religion before we will propound the rest whereby no delay of time shall follow if in the first we may accord for we may speedily by Post send you the same demands if cause so require Given under our signet at our Pallace of Westminister the 11 day of May 1571 and in the 13 year of our Reign To the Right Honourable Fr. Walsingham Esq her Majesties Ambassador Resident in France SIr by the Queens Majesties Letters you shall understand what you are directed to do and say and therefore I must forbear to deal therein with you considering you are prescribed But I will friendly let you know how the answer hath proceeded and so the cause and circumstance known you may the better conceive the inward sense of the Message At the first coming of your Letters hither with the answer from Queen Mother In A was very sorry to judge the matter so perplexed and almost desperate Whereby I then judged there was here a plaine forward intention to proceed in the cause if this let for Religion should not be a stay After two daies the French Ambassador had Letters and the Queens Majestie was by some informed that saw the Letters that there was no such difficulty in that matter of Religion Nevertheless the Ambassador himself being appointed to conferr with my Lord of Leicester and me made the cause very hard alledging directly that Monsieur would never sustaine that dishonour as to come hither with an accompt to the world that he should have no Religion and then I answered as is contained in the Queens Majesties Letters setting out the neerness of ours to such as was good and found in the Roman adding that we omitted nothing but those which were impious and doubtfull to be against the Scriptures And so with us he ended with this request that the Queens Majestie would grant these words quod which sentence I found imperfect and so yet do I reported this to the Queens Majestie After this I was by one of some value secretly informed that if this matter of Religion were earnestly sticked unto and peremptorily pressed it would be obtained whereupon the answer was conceived and I commanded to report it to the French Ambassador who hearing it seemed much dismayed and concluded That he saw not but this answer should make a breach and end of the whole For if the answer saith he be grounded upon the Queens conscience then saith he there is no qualification to be hoped for Thus I reported and thereupon I saw her Majestie was perplexed and wished I had forborn to have made the principall foundation upon her Majesties conscience which I was commanded to do and therefore no fault in me And to remedie the matter I was willed speedily to advertise the Ambassador secretly that I was larger in explication of her Majesties conscience then I see since my speaking with him was meant and that the principall reasons were the other of the misliking of her good subjects and of the danger to lose their good wills c. And so did I by a little writing advertise him whereby what conceit he gathereth I know not but by some others I heare that he still judgeth it broken After this I was commanded also to temper the sentence in the Queens Majesties Letters as you perceive for it is not as it was an assertion of direct necessity but of possibility
Command Fr. Walsingham To the Right Hononrable and my very good Lord the Earl of Leicester YOur Lordship at large by Sir Tho Smithes Letters unto her Majestie shall understand to what issue we are grown to touching this Treaty We can by no means nor perswasions we can use draw the King to any other interpretation of his meaning touching the point of Religion then by private Letters for that it should seem that their Ambassador from hence hath assured the King here that her Majestie will be content therewith For my private opinion seeing this League is to indure but during the lives of the two Princes and that the substance of all Leagues consisteth chiefly in the sincerity of the matters and that this Prince hath given great shew to the world of great â—incerity I think the private Letter bindeth as much in honour as any other Instrument or Contract that can pass between them can do in Law For if they should break the matter is not to be tryed in the Chamber imperial by way of pleading of what value the instruments are God and the Sword must be Judges so that then pleading must give place But this my good Lord is for my private opinion in matters of so great weight as leagues are I profess altogether ignorance If her Majestie can content her self with this private interpretation of the Kings meaning then if it would please her Majestie through your good motion to use some words of assurance towards the Ambassador there of the great good opinion she hath of the Kings sincerity and that she buildeth more upon his words then upon contract I know nothing can more content him for he desireth to be reputed a Prince that esteemeth his word and honour above his life Besides he wisheth himself to be in her Majesties good opinion before all other Princes and doth often take occasion to say that he hopeth there will be no less earnest good will and strait Amity between him and her Majestie then was between her Father and his Grandfather To nourish this opinion of Amity between them I take it to be the office of all those who truly love their Majesties as that League that tendeth greatly to both their sureties being knit together in perfect Amity which beside their particular safety will breed a great repose in all Europe especially for the cause of Religion And surely my Lord for the increase and nourishment of this friendship nothing can yield more furtherance then your access hither in ratification of the League a thing very much desired of their Majesties here as you perceive by Sir Tho Smithes Letter The motion at the first being made by the Queen Mother seemed strange unto us for her to name a particular person but when she shewed unto us that her Majestie the last Summer desired the Marshal Montmorency whereunto they did condescend and that they also mean to send him now for the confirmation of this League we had nothing to reply They say that the King in respect of the good offices that you had done between the two Crowns the great honour you had used towards his Ministers sent hither and certain prâ—sents that you had sent unto himself desireth very much both to see you and honour you Besides she said that your coming should be so grateful unto her and the King her Son as you might obtain any thing at his hands for the contentment of her Majestie so far forth as he might with his honour grant Surely my Lord though this voyage to your purse cannot but grow very chargable yet for the furtherance of the common cause of Religion for the increase of Amity between the two Princes and Crowns and for their own particular reputation never was there offered to your Lordship greater occasion both generally and particularly to do good then at this present Your Lordship can do more good in one hour here then twenty such petty companions as my self is can do in a whole year or possible in all our lives time I would I could so well hope of her Majesties leave as of your Lordships liking to take this journey upon you and then I would assure my self of your coming and by the same of as great good to ensue as ever followed of any others imployment in this voyage c. To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh IT may pleas your Lordship to understand that Monsieur de la Mothe hath advertised their Majesties here that the Q. of Scots cause in England is not so desperate as we make it for that lately she hath received so much increase of liberty as that she went a Hawking with the Earl of Shrewsbury which advertisement here maketh them more earnest in her cause then they were wont for that they doubt one day she will come to the possession of the Crown of England either by succession or prevention and therefore the Councel here do advise the King so to deal for her as may continue in her an opinion that he is careful for her well own safety and cannot but do justice then call things proceed well and her Majestie may well perceive that any favour shewed unto her doth not onely breed disfavour but also danger and hindrance towards her self whereof Mr. Killegrew can inform her Majestie at large The opinion of the wisest sort of the Gentlemen of the Religion that are here is That the League it self shall not do more good then the imployment of two honourable Personages for the ratification of the same and therefore they desire me most earnestly to move her Majestie to concur with the King in this respect who hath to that end made choice of Montmorency hoping that her Majestie will choose one of quality somewhat answerable to his calling Besides the King and Queens desire as may appear by Sir Tho Smithes Letters the said Gentlemen do desire much the Earl of Leicesters coming as one very grateful unto their Majesties here and therefore shall be able to do very much good by the advancement of their causes whose increase of credit cannot but be beneficial unto her Majestie in considering the great good affection they bear towards her in regard of the great honour and benefits they have received at her Majesties hands and therefore their increase of credit shall breed increase of Amity a thing not unnecessary for her Majestie considering how she finds some of her neighbours affected abroad and her Subjects inclined at home Besides if her Majestie should not seem to be desirous of Montmorencies coming considering that he is no less willing to come then his Master is to send it might give him occasion to think that her Majestie maketh not that account of him that his great good will and devotion towards her deserveth whereof he letteth not to make demonstration outwardly as otherways of the which besides mine own experience during the time of my charge here Sir Tho Smith and Mr. Killegrew
and novv be in the Castle of Edenburgh and this being understood the Ship vvas stayed and searched and amongst other the confirmation of that vvhich I told you before vvas in the Scotch Queens Letters that she gave her self and her son novv the young King of Scotland vvholly into the hands of the King of Spain to be governed and ruled only by him and assure him that if he vvould send any povver the young King should be delivered into his hands For in the Ship it doth appear that the Lord Seton by his instructions is named the Scotch Queens Ambassador tovvards the Duke of Alva A goodly Ambassador saith the Queen And there in his Ambass he offereth the young King to be delivered into his hands to be conveyed into Spain And to animate him more to set up again the Scotch Queen and take the protection of her that she hath right both by Gods Law and mans Law to be Queen of England and also of Scotland and that she hath not only all those that be in trouble now but a great sort more in England on her part so that the King by setting her up should not only govern both these Realms but shall also set up in both again the Catholique Religion Alas saith the Queen that head of hers shall be never in quiet This quoth I toucheth us most the next toucheth the King your son I will shew unto you as I have it my Lord Burleigh writeth it unto me In the same ship amongst other was found a Letter of the Countess of Northumberland who was one of the chief stirrers in the last Rebellion Her husband the Earl is now prisoner in Scotland for the same purpose The Countess in her Letter writeth to her husband that the Duke of Guise hath of late been with the D. of Alva disguised and she affirmeth to her husband for certainty all the house of Guise and that faction will follow in all points the direction of the King of Spain Saith the Queen he was not for by reason of his Treaty of accord she meant between the Admiral and him which hath been long time in doing and yet taketh that small success every four daies we either hear from him or send to him so that we know certainly where he is and that he hath not been there he might well enough send some other person but somewhat there is we know well enough saith she that they incline somewhat that way of Spain and it may be nothing for it is the Spanish practice to aid themselves with lies and spread abroad that those and those be of the Faction to bring other in when indeed it is nothing so that used the Emperor Charls and so brought some by this means unto his lure before they were aware and that is a shrewd art quoth I to abuse rash fools Yes saith she but when at the last it is espied it makes them the more to be hated and other the harder to be abused by them Then she left that matter Jesu saith she and doth not your Mistress see that she shall be alwaies in danger untill she marry That once done and in some good House who dare attempt any thing against her Madam quoth I I think if she were once married all in England that had any traiterous hearts would be discouraged for one Tree alone may soon be cut down but when there be two or three together it is longer a doing and one shall watch for the other but if she had a child then all these bold and troublesome Titles of the Scotch Queen or other that make such gapings for her death will be clean choaked up I see she may have five or six saith she very well I would to God we had one No saith she two boys leâ—t the one should die and three or four daughters to make alliance with us again and other Princes to strengthen the Realm Why then quoth I you think that Monsieur le Duc shall speed With that she laughed and said Ie le desire infinitement and I would trust then to see three or four my self at the least of her race which would make me indeed not to spare Sea nor Land to see her and them And if she could have fancied my son d'Anjou saith she as you told me why not this of the same house Father and Mother and as vigorous and lusty as he and rather more and now he beginneth to have a beard come forth so that I told him the last day that I was angry with it for now I was afraid he would not be so high as his brethren Yea Madam quoth I a man doth commonly grow in height to his years the beard maketh nothing Nay saith she he is not so little he is so high as you or very near For that matter Madam quoth I I for my part make small account if the Queens Majestie can fancie him For Pipinus Brevis who married Bertha the King of Almains Daughter was so little to her that he is standing in Aquisgrave or Moguerre a Church in Almani she taking him by the hand and his head not reaching to her girdle and yet he had by her Charlemain the great Emperor and King of France which is reported to be almost a Giants stature And your Oliver Glesquim the Briton Constable that you make so much of and lieth buried amongst the Kings at St. Dennis if he were no bigger then is there pourtrayed upon his Tomb was very short scarcely four foot long but yet he was valiant hardly and couragious above all in his time and did us English men most hurt It is true saith she it is the heart courage and activity that is to be looked for in a man but hear you word of the Queens affection that way can you give me no comfort No I assure your Majestie quoth I for the Letters were written the 11 of this Month the same day or the next that our Currier went with the dispatch from hence Thus with much other talk in such sort the time was passed that day betwixt her Majestie and me All the world doth see that we doe wish her Majestie surety and long continuance that her marriage and issue of her Highness body should be the most assurance of her Highness and of the Wealth of the Realm The place where and the person whom I for my part remit to her Majestie but what doth her Majestie mean to maintain still her danger and not provide for her surety I assure your Lordship I can see no reason God preserve her Majestie long to Reigne over us by some unlooked for miracle for I cannot see by natural reason that her Highness goeth about to provide for it Thus I commit your Lordship to Almighty God From Blois March 22. 1571. by English account Th. Smith To my Lord of Burleigh MY Lord You must excuse us if the Queens Majestie or any other body do find fault that we send this man away
in the writing as a thing confessed both by the King here and the Q. Maj. they would have the rehersal made as of her Majesties relation and yet the thing done as her Highness requireth as you see in the Treaty These things when they come to conclusion your wisdom knoweth be not to be sticked upon so that the Q. Mother with her Honor hath done all that is desired of her Highness And as I hope and trust the best League that ever was made with France or any other Nation for her Majesties surety As yet we have not signed the Treaty but to morrow or the next day we shall have There hath been such variance betwixt us for some words and somewhat for slowness of Writers Thus in few words you have the reasons of our variances and agreements so that with the said and other which your Lordship can adjoyn all doubts and objections if any may be answered And so I commit your Lordship to almighty God from Blois April 17. 1571. To my Lord Burleigh MY very good Lord After the dispatch of our Post this here inclosed was brought to us to look upon to know what we thought upon it we answered for us we could not judge but her Majestie had well considered of it and we doubt not will either signe to the like as it is or with some other amendment but because the League is concluded and signed we have no more to do Dâ— Florence brought it and was content to leave it with us the which we thought convenient to take of him and send it your Lordship by Cavalcant somevvhat to consider of it before for their Ambassador shall present it to the Q. Majestie to have the like of her Highness Mr. Cavalcant also doth partly understand the reason of it vvhich is to satisfie such as would be glad to find any cavellation to mislike the League And therefore for our part vve vvish that her Majestie should condiscend to so much as conveniently her Highness may do because the King here dealeth so frankly and roundly vvith her Majestie And straightly after that I had written so farr came Monsieur brother and brought us a copy of a League in French and also of the reciproque Letters for the explication of the general words thereof to be understood also in matter of Religion This League in French serveth for three purpose the one the King here understands French and not Latine the other for the aid of horsemen and footmen The Latine at this day is forced to signifie the manner as it is now differing although it be the manner of the Romans the French is proper to the orders of the War at this day which be better known by that Language now then by Latine Now you having both the one may serve for the interpretation of the other although the very League is that which is in Latine and signed with â—ll our hands and Seals Thus I commit your Lordship to Almighty God From Blois April 22. at night To my Lord of Burleigh MY very good Lord I most heartily thank you for your Leters of the 28 of April wherin I greatly rejoyc'd that du Crocque is sent at the last into Scotland the staying of him was not well taken here for it bred some suspicion as of no plain dealing and the King here meaning surely for any thing I can yet perceive nothing but sincerity and plain and faithful dealing towards her Maj. is again for his part suspicious but I wil not swear for his Councel within these three daies there was a Letter of du Crocques to the King sent from the Court hither to Mr. de Montmorency and du Foix who sent to us immediately du Florence complaining very much that du Crocque had written to the King that he was in despair of his going into Scotland he thought verily the Q. would not let him go This thing somewhat amazed us both but so soon as we received your Letters which was yesterday the 8 of May and with them a Letter of Iohn Woods that du Crocque went into Scoland in May we went streight to visit the Marshal and du Foix imparted to them the news we knew and especially that du Crocque was gon we shewed them also the Articles propounded by her Maj. and their answers of the Castle wherein they might understand how sincerely the Q. Maj. meant Before du Crocque came they all liked very well yea and also that de la Mott and du Crocque did accept instead of that 5 Article and they doubted not both the Princes once binding themselves together to set a quiet in that Realm both the parties must needs content themselves to yield to reason And if the young King be established there as I have often written the K. here and the wiser of his Councel do desire no other Marry he must not seem to be the doer of it nor the condemner of her cause As for those Articles neither I nor 〈◊〉 Walsingham as we told plainly and I am sure Mr. du Foix will say as much in England did neither allow nor disallow for we had no Commission as we said and because it was referred to her Maj. we could not but leave them whole and intire for her Highness to judge upon I marvel my L. Admiral is so long before he set forward Marshal Montmorency and du Foix and all that should go with them be ready and attend only to hear when my L. Admiral doth set forward A man would marvel what a number of great persons both of the long and short Robe do desire to go with the Marshal and to see England and what shift he is fain to make to cut off his train and shake them off that desire to go let he should have too many he is surely a great Prince here marvelous wel belov'd and one that loves the Q. Maj. and our Nation as much as any Noble man in France I hope the Q. Maj. will give him the Order at his being there that he may follow his father therein he will esteem it much and I know not how it cometh to pass here is a rumor already spread that he amongst others was elected on S. Georges day and your Lordship also whereof I pray God give unto you long joy and many years to wear that Order I am glad the Treaty is liked Now it cannot be said her Maj. is altogether alone having so good a defence of so noble couragious and so faithfull a Prince of his word and so near a neighbour provided for and bespoken before hand against any need partly that and partly the trouble in Flanders which I trust God hath provided to deliver his poor servants there from the Antichristian Tyranny shall make her Highness enjoy more quietly both England and Ireland and a better neighbor of Scotland Thus I commit your Lordship to Almighty God Paris May 7. 1571. To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the
heart that may be for her Majesties safety And so leaving to trouble your Honor any further at this present I most humbly take my leave At Paris the tenth of August 1572. Your Honours to command Fr. Walsingham Sir I beseech you to signifie unto her Majesty that the Count Montgomery doth shew himself by sundry demonstrations worthy of the favour and honor he hath received at her Majesties hands I beseech your Honor therefore to put her Majesty in mind to use some such speeches towards his daughter at the Court as he may perceive that I do not forget to advertise her Majesty of the good will he beareth towards her To the right honorable Sir Thomas Smith her Majesties principall Secretary SIR in this my private Letter I thought good to tell you that how coldly soever you are affected towards marriage we mean not here to give you over but do think that time may work somewhat to the satisfying of our desire They think in the end necessity must make you yield thereto in respect of your safety which is the best ground of the hope they have they know well enough the coldness of your affection and therefore they hope that force will bring that to pass which love cannot This Sir for marriage matter I have earnestly written both to the Lord Treasurer and the Earl of Leicester to procure a stay of the revocation of those that are imployed in Flanders without the which the whole enterprise is in hazard in respect of the discouragement that will grow thereby And surely if the same take not good success it is evident what will be our danger to as many as will list to see I need not use towards you any perswasions to put to your helping hand which is forward enough in this case as one that foreseeth the mischief that otherwise will follow Whereas you write now that the Scots began somwhat to incline to an abstinence it seemeth very strange considering the issue of our Parliament and the late inlargement of the Queen of Scots liberty unless the Scots mean thereupon to establish the Government in their Queen if her Majesty had accepted the provision of her safety by her subjects in Parliament and not so soon have yielded to any enlargement those Scotch matters had been ere this accorded but we use to build with one hand and overthrow with another I can rather lament it then hope after any remedy And therefore to God I commit it And so leaving further to trouble your Honour at this present I most humbly take my leave At Paris the 10. of August 1572. Your Honours to command Fr. Walsingham To the right Honourable his very good Lord the Lord Treasurer I Refer your Honour to Sir Th. Smiths Letters touching that which hath past concerning the delivery of her Majesties resolution unto their Majesties thereof the offer propounded by the M. Montmorency and M. de Foix. They easily could be induced to hazard an enterview if they thought there were any earnest intention in her Majesty to marry but the doubt thereof maketh them stay to condiscend in that behalf notwithstanding they mean not to give over the matter utterly but do hope that necessity in time may induce her Majesty in respect of her safety and the gratifying of her subjects to yield her consent seeing that the difficulty consisteth in opinion chiefly I do what I can to nourish this opinion in them considering the broken state of Europe and how tickle her Majesty standeth if by an enterview there might grow any good I think I could easily bring it to pass but the experience I have had how this case of marriage is subject to many things maketh me to proceed warily according as I shall receive direction at your Lordships hands who shall guide my doings in this behalf Touching Flanders matters the King had proceeded to an open dealing had he not received advertisement out of England that her Majestie meant to revoke such of her subjects as are presently in Flanders whereupon such of his Councel here as incline to Spain have put the Queen Mother in such a fear that the enterprise cannot but miscarry without the assistance of England as she with tears had disswaded the King for the time who otherwise was very resolute Thus your Lordship seeth how the bruit of your fear there hath bred fear here whereof I fear there will follow fearfull effects unless God put to his helping hand The Admiral in this brunt whose mind is invincible and foreseeth what is like to insue doth not now give over but layeth before the King his peril if the Prince of Orange quail or at the least if the matter by composition may not be induced to that good pass as the Spaniards may be removed further off and the Country restored to its liberty and yet remain under the Government of Spain And though he cannot obtain what were requisite and necessary for the advancement of the Cause yet doth he obtain somewhat in conference with him He desired me to tell your Lordship that there is nothing in respect of himself that he desireth more after long troubles unless he saw the danger great and evident to as many as profess the Gospel as also particularly to the King his Master and to the Q. Majestie my Mistress whom he is bound to honour and serve during his life and if these Low-Country matters be not reduced to some good issue he would not now expose himself to new perils But the case now standing as it doth and foreseeing the mischief that will follow he saith he should be a Traitor to God and to his Country and unthankful to her Maj. if he should forbear to do what lieth in him to prevent the same and for that he knoweth your Lordship doth concur with him in the like desire he doth most earnestly desire you to be a mean to stay her Maj. revocation of those that be in Flanders which thing will breed no less incouragement to the enemies then discouragement to those that seek to further this cause the welldoing whereof saith he if I do not mistake doth as much import her Maj. as any one thing that hapned unto her since her coming to the Crown and therefore requireth rather assistance then hinderance Other particularities he willed me to impart unto your Lordship which for that I would be loath to trouble your Lordship with Cypher I have desired Mr. Killegrew to make you understand the same And so leaving to impart to your Honour any thing further at this time I most humbly take my leave At Paris August 10. 1572. Your Honours to command Fr. Walsingham To the Right Honourable his very good Lord the Earl of Leicester IT may please your Lordship to understand that upon advertisement com from the parties that her Maj. meant to revoke such as are imployed in the Low-Countries of her subjects the King here through the perswasions of such as are inclined to Spain
Author but upon the sudden fear and practise brought suddenly to us as his Ambassador would have us think although the yielding unto it be horrible yet if frailty and fear hath constrained it and that his heart with due repentance seek the right satisfaction first of God and then of the world by prosecuting the enemies of God and his Realm that so entised them to it then may I hope that it was not his own consent or liking Otherwaies if he continue in confirming the fact and allowing the persons that did it then must he be a Prince detested of all honest men what Religion soever they have for as his fact was ugly so was it inhumane for whom should a man trust if not his Princes word and these men whom he hâ—th put to slaughter not onely had his word but his writing and not publique but private with open Proclamations and all other manner of Declarations that could be devised for the safety which now being violated and broken who can believe or trust him But Sir the Ambassador hath inwardly dealt of late with me and 〈…〉 me believe that we shall shortly see that this matter is not the Kings and that he doth 〈…〉 as he will make revenge of it God grant it be so but you may easily understand it and surely you shall do well inwardly as her Majestie hath written unto you but warily to discover it even with himself and if it may appear he stands in any fear of his person or doubts his force to assist him I know her Majestie will venter twenty thousand of her best subjects for him and with him in so good a quarrel For it is almost incredible that one so young and hitherto so plain so sincere and of so good disposition as you your self could not say too much of him could thus be transformed so suddenly so dishonourable from so good to ill Well you may shortly see it and I pray you let us hear from you as often as you may And so praying God to send you your health and safety I bid you farewel trusting you will be a mean for my Nephew Sidney that he may repair home considering the present state there In haste the 11 of Sept. Your very Friend Ro. Leicester To the Right Honourable Francis Walsingham Esq Ambassador Resident for her Majestie in France SIr this accident in France seemeth to us so strange and beyond all expectation that we cannot tell what to say to it and the excuse tam that we wot not what to think of it The matter appeareth all manner of ways so lamentable the King so suddenly and in one day to have dispoiled himself and his Realm of so many notable Captains so many brave Souldiers so wise and so valiant men as if they were unguilty of that which is laid unto them it is most pitiful if they were guilty Cur mandati causa damnati sunt ac casi in such sudden and extreme dealings Cito sed sera penitentia solet sequi If it were sudden and not of long time premeditated before and if so the worse and more infamous Thus you see what privately any man may think of the fact I am glad yet that in those tumults and bloody proscriptions you did escape and the yong Gentlemen that be there with you and that the K. had so great care and pity of our Nation so lately with strait amity confederate with him yet we hear say that he that was sent by my Lord Chamberlain to be Schoolmaster to yong Wharton being come the day before was then slain Alas he was acquainted with no body nor could be partaker of any evil dealing How fearful and careful the mothers and parents be here of such yong Gentlemen as be there you may easily guess by my Lady Lane who prayeth very earnestly that her son may be sent home with asmuch speed as may be And if my Lady your wife with you daughter and the rest with such as may be spared were sent away home until this rage and tempest were somewhat appeased you shall be the quieter and disburthened of much of your care You would not think how muâ—â— we are desirous to hear what end these troubles will have whether it rangeth further into all France or dy or will cease here at Paris Our Merchants be afraid to go now into France and who can blame them who would where such liberty is given to Souldiers and where nec pietas nec justitia doth refrain and keep back the unruly malice and sword of the raging popular Monsieur la Mote is somewhat spoken to in this matter and now the vintage as you know is at hand and our traffique into Roan and other places in France is almost layed down with this new feat It grieveth no man in England so much as me and indeed I have in some respect the greatest cause Fare you well From woodstock the twelfth of September 1572. Yours alwayes assured Tho Smith My Lady Lane hath sent by your man thirty pound in gold to pay her sons debts there and charges in coming home I most heartily thank you for the book of the past troubles in France But alas who shall now write worthily of the treasons and cruelties more barbarous then ever the Scythians used Both my Lord Treasurer and I have been more then once or twice Sutors to her Majestie for your coming home and sometimes we had it granted and streight revoked the letters written and immediately called back you must I see endure for a time but I trust it will not be long To the Right Honourable Francis Walsingham Esq Ambassador for the Queens Majestie in France SIr although as may appear in my former Letters that you were fain to be left without hope of returning so soon as you would wish yet yesterday Fawnte Argold and South coming out of France to the Court did so amplifie the cruel disorders there and thereupon your dangers in every mans ears whereof your friends made relation to her Highness that finally her Majestie was content to write this letter for your return hither to the French King whereof I send you herewith a copy And so she hath somewhat provided for you so shall you understand that her Highness hath been so awakened that care and provision also is taken for the defence of her Realm if this fire in France should attempt to come neerer hither Fare you well Woodstock the twelfth of September 1572. Your assured Friend Th. Smith To the Right Honourable his very good Lords the Lords of her Majesties most honourable privy Councel IT may please your Honours to understand that your letters of the ninth of this moneth I received the seventeenth of the same and having well perused and considered of the contents thereof and seeing a choice left unto you of me touching the speech that from her Majestie was to be used both towards the King and his Mother as might express her Maj. grief for the
King his Brother a League offensive and defensive and for the matters of the Low-Countries we will therein do as before is expressed if the secret aiding may in no sort be accepted by the French King And thus leaving to your discretion how to perswade Monsieur that thâ—s not assenting to the marriage proceedeth not of lack of Love or Good-will towards him but of meer necessity to avoid the just offence of our people you shall use all good perswasions to temper his misliking thereof with the assurance of the continuance of our love towards him in all his fortunes hereafter to follow And now when you shall return from Monsieur to the French King you are for answering the first point to shew our minde thereto with the like Arguments and Reasons as before is contained in that you shall have said to Monsieur which need not here to be repeated in writing And if the French King shall not allow of our foremost offer for our secret aiding of Monsieur in his actions but will refuse the same peremptorily and so procure Monsieur to leave his enterprize for lack of our further yielding then you shall yield to the second afore remembred that we will rather then the enterprize should fail and thereby the King of Spains greatness encrease joyn with the King as is remembred But except Monsieur shall object against the manner of our ayd in secret sort as is before remembred you shall not need to yield ours to offer to Monsieur that second degree nor make any mention thereof for after that being opened and the French King being therewith acqnainted before your access unto him it shall be in vain to stand with the French King upon the offer of the first degree for a secret ayd so as if you shall be urged by Monsieurs answers to fall to the second to yield to an open ayd then you may onely repeat the first to the King and therewith to add that if that manner of ayd shall neither content the French King nor Monsieur then we will assent to joyn with the French King in such manner as shall be found reasonable for us both and for the cause And so our meaning is that you shall if you can possible in this sort put of the marriage with yielding to this latter open sort of aiding if the secret ayd shall not be allowed and therewith you shall declare by this our Answer the other two points for a League offensive and defensive and for a secret accord for the Low Countries to be in a sort answered But for more particular instructions of you how to proceed in these two latter matters you shall have for them both a Commission general for your self and our Ambassador and Sommers to treat therupon and with the said Commission you shall have some other particular instructions such as the short time may yield And whensoever you shall enter to treat thereon after knowledge had from you there shall be more particular matters called to remembrance and sent unto you But now if you shall after all good Reasons used to perswade the staying of the marriage with the offers to joyn with the French King and both with aiding of his Brother and if it be moved to you or otherwise thought reasonable to be by you mentioned to joyn also in the ayding of Dâ—n Anthonio pretending to be the King of Portugal that notwithstanding this your proceeding that the King will yield to none of these but with the marriage as hitherto by his former Answers have appeared he would not you should persist in setting forth the necessities of the Crown of France both presently and for time to come as also you shall confess the like for England to begin timely to abate the King of Sp. greatness and that though there had been never marriage spoken of yea that wheresoever Monsieur may marry in an other place yet it shall prove a great error both in the Frinch King and us to leave the King of Spain to encrease to such greatness as hereafter neither the force of France nor England no nor any that may be confederate with them shall be able to withstand any thing that the King of Spain shall attempt And if these Reasons cannot prevail you shall leave off declaring your great grief that the forbearing of the marriage grounded upon the evident misliking of our subjects should be the cause of the forbearing to do so great a good to Christendom as the conjunction of the King and us might bring though the matter took not place and so you shall end and speedily advertise us of your proceedings Instructions for the treaty of a League offensive and defensive betwixt us and the French King and for other things depending thereupon ELIZABETH R. WHen it shall appear upon your other treating with the K. according to such other instructions as you have that it shal be required and found convenient that there be a League made for a strict Amity between us and the French King and that the same shall be found good for us both in respect of the King of Spains growing overgreat to continue a peaceable neighbor you shal require first that the Treaty made for a mutual defence betwixt the French Kings brother Charles the ninth and us and which also hath been confirmed by a special clause in the Treaty that shall now be newly made and thereupon shall it be considered what other new Covenants that are not already contained in the former Treaty shall be made to make our Amity streighter against any that shall commit any hostile act by invasion of any of our Countries which we now possess or have possessed any time these 20 yeers and to that end you shall move an assent that from henceforth we and the King shall during our lives be united in heart and minde for confirmation of our honors persons states dignities kingdoms and dominions to either of us belonging so as from henceforth we and the King shall be against all persons friends to friends and enemies to enemies notwithstanding any former Leagues or Confederations with any other or notwithstanding any Councels Perswasions or Motions to be made to either of us by any Potentate or person spiritual or temporal to the contrary of the tenour of this League Item You shall Covenant that if any King Potentate or other person shall offend or procure offence to us in our person honor dignity or estate or shall take away or impeach and 〈◊〉 any of our Kingdoms or Countries the French King shall repute and accept the same offence as done to himself or his Countries and shall in like manner with all his power impugn the same as though the offence were made to himself and we also shall be bound in like sort to the French King mutatis mutandis Item It shall be mutually covenanted that all Traytors and manifest Rebels against either of us shall be declared and used as enemies or Rebels of the other
marriage as though the marriage should serve for all this charge and thereto her Majestie with some sharpness of speech added that she knew and saw it now true that the Queen Mother in counsel had before pronounced that if the marriage could be concluded the Queen of England should be put to the whole charges This is the substance of that I can wring from her for that she saith until she hear from you of your Negotiaon with the Kâ—she hath nothing here to 〈◊〉 of But she wished me to write to you as before is mentioned and she meaneth also to write some letters to Monsieur to give him some comfort as I think Marchemont had Letters and as I hear by report the contents are a report of your dealings and of Monsieurs resolute answers to you that the King his brother would in no sort consent to any thing without the marriage and so they stand like good Chapmen without falling in their bargain from the principal but by this time you can best judge what will follow The Queens Majestie asked me whether if in no letter from you to me you had recommended Monsieurs wisdom I said by no express speech I marvel thereof quoth she for to me in this letter he doth greatly commend him and so did by reading pronounce very great commendation of him by you but I saw not the words written I answered that always you above any other of her servants had ever commended him most I pray you remember to send â—s a Callender of Monsieurs Captains and Leaders with the numbers likely of all sorts and what his monethly pay may be in charge and how he hath been furnished of money towards this leavy I am sorry to see so large a time spent from the beginning of his preparations until this time and yet I think far off to put in execution that which he pretendeth I fear the Queen Mother finding the marriage desperate will practice with the Duke of Parma to withdraw his siege and that the Town may be relieved and so Monsieurs Honour saved and thereupon Monsieur may leave his general enterprize wherewith the Spaniards ought to be contented For thereby shall they have their wills in the Low-Countreys and so also the Queen Mother may save her son free from gun-shot and put up all her pretences and live without offence to the King of Spain Thus much of the French matters From Ireland I have not heard but once since you went which was by a letter from Waterhouse that the Lord Gray had advertised them they should send no victuals into Odonels Countrey but onely to Carlinfoord For when the Lord Gray came to the Black-water Tirch fled breaking his two Castles and sent my Lord Gray word that he would be at peace with Odonel and all others by his Lordships order Whereupon the Lord Gray sent Justice Dowdal to him to treat hereupon but more I have not heard My Lord of Ormond findeth himself greatly grieved upon his discharge not as he saith for his discharge but that he hath been wronged in not advertising how great prizes he hath done In Scotland the King pretendeth to keep Amity yet by Ashton secretly I learn that he will be wholly guided by her Majestie whereof she conceiveth hope I pray God she be not deceived therein and hereby I fear her Majestie will be the flower to hearken to the assistance with France and yet her Maj. uttereth not to me these Scotish matters but I learn them otherwise The Lord of Huntley is arived in Scotland and offered to Lord Ferihurst is fully restored and both these well accepted with the King We have gotten from Campian knowledge of all his peregrination in England as in Yorkshire Lancash Denbigh Northampton Warwick Bedford Buckingham c. hereof I am sure Mr. Beal will write unto you who hath herein with Mr. Hamon taken great pains We have sent for his hosts in all Countreys And thus I end doubting I shall weaâ—y you with reading as I am almost with writing This tenth of August 1581. Your assured loving Friend William Burleigh To the Right Honourable and my very good Friend Sir Francis Walsingham SIr after I had yesternight being Thursday written and sealed up my Letters I understand lately that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath informed her Majestie that Monsieur found himself greatly discontented with the manner of dealing with him in making the marriage so desperate as it seemed to him you came of purpose to break it and onely to sollicit the league with the K. upon which matter this forenoon her Majestie told me that she misliketh of your manner of proceedings as though you did not express the causes why she could consent to no marriage but abruptly shewed that she would not marry and so forthwith to deal with Monsieur for a league To this I made answer Madam it is to be seen in Mr. Secretaries Letters to me which I read to you that he did so proceed to open your mind for forbearing to marry as your self did determine with us all and as he is warranted by your instructions for Madam he did not say that you would not marry with him but that as the case standeth he being entred into a war you found it not good either for him or your self to assent to the marriage for so by your marriage your Realm joyntly with your marriage should enter into a war so as your speeches according to your instructions were not absolute to deny the marriage but to shew that the marriage could not content her subjects with a war joyned therewith and so using as many reasons as I could I ended that I could not see that you had done any thing but that I my self in your place would have done the same And I did put her Majestie in remembrance that all her resolutions with us of her Councel was that you should so deal as to acquit her of the marriage and if there might be a good amity made and by a league betwixt France and this Realm to abate the King of Spains greatness vvhich I did object required a present action and to that end you should so proceed as there might appear no hope of marriage For as long as France could perceive any hope thereof they would not assent to any league To this her Majestie could not but assent but finally she changed her opinion in saying that if she should make a league whereby a war might follow she said she had rather be at the charges of a war with the marriage then without a marriage But saith she let Walsingham know my minde to be this that I would gladly enter into a league with the French King onely with these conditions that if I were invaded he should help me and if he were inwaded I would help him and so to abate the King of Spains greatness She said she would concur with the French King to do that by aiding of Monsieur and also the King of
conference had of late with her Highness whereupon the King had commanded them to tell us that seeing that matter was now in so good terms he thought good to stay further proceeding in the Treaty of a League But to end first that which was first begun and in such forwardness which was the Marriage and that they thought we should have commandment from her Majestie very shortly in this behalf whereunto it was answered unto them that though we heard nothing thereof from her Majestie yet we would believe what they had said as written to the King from his Ambassador and that untill we might understand her Majesties pleasure herein we thought that this Negotiation for a League might well proceed to bring it to some good point and to win so much time seeing the King had consented and desired to have such a League with her Majestie Mr. de Chevereny said that the time would not be so long ere we should receive her Majesties pleasure and that they could not proceed any further in the Treaty seeing this was the Kings pleasure Then it was said by Pinart that the Ambassador had then written as so spoken by her Highness to him that she had rather marry a mean Gentleman of France then go now from that which was so farr proceeded in between her Highness and Monsieur Thus we being put off from our Negotiation and at a stay knew not how to proceed any further in any thing untill we may understand her Majesties pleasure which we beseech you to procure to be sent unto us in some certainty that an orderly and honourable course may be holden to grow to an end At this time Pinart as so commanded he said by the Queen Mother did very specially recommend to her Majesties consideration the estate of poor Don Anthonio and to remember the great charges he hath been at in providing shipping in England to be sent and to joyn with the French Kings ships under Captain Carles who he assured they had advertisement was gon to the sea seven daies ago thinking to meet with Don Anthonio's ships rigged in England at a Cape which he could not name And that unless the same depart not out of hand all the charge will be lost and that the King shall be fain to venture his ships alone if no other aid joyn with them He shewed there an advertisement came that day from the Isle of Tercera that the French have landed there taken the Isle and certain ships and put to the Sword 800 Spaniards among whom were they whose names were here in a scedule and that he thinketh they are gon to meet with the rest of the Spanish Fleet. And thus c. Paris the 27 of August Fr. Walsingham Henry Cobham Iohn Sommers To the Lord Treasurer MY very good Lord I send your Lordship here inclosed the last Article contained in mine instructions for the League which we have forborne to adde to those heads of a League which we exhibited to the Commissioners for that we find it somewhat darke and therefore doe pray your Lordships explanation therein For as we conceive of it it will restrain the French King from aiding of the Duke his brother which I think is not meant considering her Majesties promise to assist the Duke in the action I beseech your Lordship that we may have speedy resolution by way of Post or otherwise as by your Lordship shall be thought meet to such things as we send your Lordship by this dispatch After I had proceeded thus far in my Letter thinking that our conference with the Kings Commissioners would have bred some good accord touching the most parts of those points which were by us propounded unto them Upon the hope the King is put in by Letters lately come from his Ambassador resident there our further conference is staid as your Lordship may perceive by our general Letters which if it be not so throughly resolved on as the Ambassador conceiveth and as he hath reported to the King his Master whereof we her Majesties Ministers here stand in doubt having no confirmation thereof Then surely this report will doe a great deal of harm many waies and ministers to the persons named in mine other Letters matters of strange discourse Besides we that serve here cannot but be infinitely grieved to see the weighty cause we have in hand subject to so many interruptions especially of the alteration of proceeding upon occasion given from thence It were well her Majestie did capitulate with the Ambassador in these great matters not to advertise any thing without first making her privy thereunto as also that upon any such resolution taken with him we here might be acquainted withall to the end there might be concurrency with us Touching her Majesties pleasure for the return of Mr. Sommers I hope when her Majestie shall consider the weightiness of the cause we deal in and the number and sufficiency of the persons we are matched withall her Highness shall see more cause to send some other well chosen Civilians to assist us then to withdraw him from us Upon the perusing of a Letter that the Ambassador resident wrote unto me much to the same effect he had written to the King I thought good to send to Pinart to acquaint him with the contents of the said Letter which as I gave order to be declared unto him caried no other substance but a report of such speeches as her Majestie had delivered to the said Ambassador the same evening that he waited on her Majestie when she road abroad to take the aire wherein her Majestie did rather lay open unto him how she stood affected to the marriage then delivered him any resolution and that it was so it might well appear hereby for that her Highness doth not use to give her resolution in any matter of importance without the privity of her Councel and acquainting her Ambassador on this side therewith to the end there may be a concurrency between her Majesties Ministers and the King which being otherwise in this case I could not but rest doubtfull of the substance of the report And therefore was desirous if it might stand with the Kings pleasure considering the great charges his Majesties is at with us and the time that passeth away fruitlesly the Treaty might go on until we might receive further matter from her Majesty To this Pinart answered that he thought the request reasonable for that it was grounded upon great probability and would therefore the next morning move the King in the matter requiring in the mean season that as much might be delivered to some other of the Commissioners as had been to him especially to Chivergni Villequire which was offered to be done by the messenger I sent but they being in conference with the Queen mother and therefore for that time not to be dealt withal at his motion it was delivered to Bellieure whom they found in the utter Chamber of Queen mother who in like sort
same being uncertain might perhaps receive later resolution then the disease required and that therefore in the mean time other remedies might be well enough proceeded in which could breed no hinderance in the Marriage and were most necessary whatsoever become of the same Then I proceeded to the second point shewing that the Queen my Mistriss did of late note a great coldness in the King touching the overture made for the impeaching of the King of Spains greatness and that the Reasons that moved her so to do were these First that the last yeer both her son and she upon the death of the late King of Portugal did declare unto her Majesties Ambassador Resident here how necessary it was both for themselves and her Majesty to have an eye to the King of Spains greatness and to that purpose did require that the said Ambassador might have Commission to treat with such as they should appoint in that behalf which being assented unto and thereupon a conference following and overtures made to that purpose the conclusion was referred to be treated of by such Commissioners as should be sent by the King from hence thither at the time of whose repair her Majesty did look that there would have been some proceeding therein which falling out otherwise was found very strange Secondly that daintiness that the King did make to concur with her Majesty in this matter of Portugal and the sundry impediments that the Duke hath received in this occasion of the Low Countries instead of furtherance being the principal means to abate the King of Spains greatness And lastly the permission made to the King of Spains Ministers for the passage of certain money to be conveighed through this Realm to the Prince of Parma These things I told her did give her Majesty just cause to think that the King had no disposition to break with Spain in seeking to impeach his greatness and therefore prayed her she would deal plainly with the Queen my Mistris letting her understand what her intention was in that behalf For said I the Queen my Soveraign is a Princess that desireth to live in repose and to maintain good Amity with the Princes her neighbours and had not waded so far in this behalf but only upon the Kings motion And therefore if the King doth now see no such danger to grow by the King of Spains greatness as before it seemed he did her Majesty I know would forbear any further dealing in that behalf who being furnished with ships for her defence by sea and her subjects being well armed by land and carrying the earnest love and affection towards her they do in respect of the happy government they have enjoyed under her Highness should I doubt not but be able to withstand the King of Spains malice in case he should attempt any thing against her Besides I did let her understand that whereas it was publikely given out here that her Majestie was greatly weakned by the alteration in Scotland and the taking away of the Earl Morton as also that there were of her own Realm persons of great quality alienated from her in respect of Religion For the first that divers of those in Scotland that for some particular quarrels that they had with Morton were glad to concur with those that sought to make him away yet are so affected to the Amity of England in respect of Religion as when any thing should be attempted against her Majestie Morton himself would not have been more ready to oppose himself against any such attempts then they will be And as for the great personages that though I did assure my self that none of them carried so evil meaning as to attempt any thing against her Majesty but rather would be content to hazard their lives as duty commanded them yet if they were so evil disposed the subjects of the Realm being generally so well affected to her Majesty as they are and grown to that judgement now as they affect not the persons of those great ones as in former times they have done but do rather look into the cause then behold the persons they should not be able to draw in great numbers after them to the execution of any undutiful action To this after she had heard me attentively she replyed that at the time of the conference between the Kings deputies and her Majesties Ambass Resident then they did as it were assure themselves that themarriage should take place no other impediments being then alleadged but the troubles of this Realm which by the mediation of the D. were in good way of speedy composition and in hope thereof they were willing to have taken any course that her Majesty should have thought good and do still continue in the same purpose and minde so as the same might take place without the which she said she did not see how the King her son should be throughly backed in case he should enter into any action against the King of Spain for that there might be many perswasions and devises used to dissolve such Treaties as should onely consist of Ink and Paper And as for the enterprise of Portugal she said that if the King of Spain might be kept from the possession of the Isle of Tercera which might keep him as well from enjoying such benefits as might grow out of the conquest depending upon the said Crown as also from the Indies in his own possession Portugal would rather be a burthen to him then otherwise And as for the Dukes enterprise she said that the King her son this Realm being greatly weakned by civil wars was loath to enter into a war with the King of Spain unless he might be assuredly well backed which no way they could make account of without the marriage whereupon she took occasion to shew that it would be a very honorable course for the King and the Queens Majesty to seek by way of mediation to compound the troubles between the king and his subjects and the Low-Countries whereto if the king should not assent then might the two Crowns with more honor concur in the action by seeking to restore them to their liberties whereunto I replyed that the Queen my Mistress had made it apparant to the world that she had sundry ways sought when the time served more aptly then now to bring it to pass But for the present whosoever doth consider to what extreme degrees of alienation from the King the said subjects of the Low Countries are grown unto having beaten down his Arms and renounced his Government how impossible it is to draw the Prince of Orange any ways to trust the King or the King to be reconciled unto him in respect of a book written by the said Prince wherein the Kings honor is greatly touched shall see no reason to hope for any reconciliation and that the Authors of that device do propound the same but for a delay to serve the King of Spains turn To this she replied nothing and did also