in this Book INstructions for Sir Francis Walsingham sent Ambassador into France 1 Sir William Cecil Lord Burleigh to Sir Francls Walsingham 5 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil ib. Q. Elizabeth to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil 6 To the Earl of Leicester 7 The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham 9 The Queen to Sir Henry Norris ib. Doubts of Sir Francis Walsingham 17. c. Sir William Cecil to Sir Francis Walsingham 18 Instructions by the Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 2â— To Sir William Cecil ib. To Sir Walter Mildmay ib. Sir Henry Norris and Sir Francis Walsingham to the Queen 22 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil 26 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil 28 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 28 29. Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Walter Mildmay 30 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil 31 Monsieur Pinart to Sir Francis Walsingham 32 Sir William Cecil to Sir Henry Norris and Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil 33 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 34 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 35 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Walter Mildmay 38 Sir William Cecil to Sir Francis Walsingham 39 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil ib. The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil 42 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 43 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil 45 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 47 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 48 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 50 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 51 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 52 Sir William Cecil to Sir Francis Walsingham 53 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 55 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 56 The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham ib Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 57 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord of Burleigh 58 Instructions of the Queen concerning the Match with France 62 c. L. Burleigh to Sir Fr. Walsingham 66 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 67 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 71 The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. L. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 72 Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh 73 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 76 The Q. to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 78 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 79 Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh 81 Lo. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh ib. Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 82 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester ib. The Q. to Sir Francis Walsingham 83 L. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 87 L. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh 88 The Q. to Sir Francis Walsingham 93 L. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 94 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh ib. Earl of Leicester to Sir Fr. Walsingham 96 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester and L. Burleigh 97 The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 100 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 101 Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh 103 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 104 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 105 The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham 106 L. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 108 Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh 109 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 110 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh ib. The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham 111 Earl of Leicester and Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 115 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 115 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 116 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 117 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil 118 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 119 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 120 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 121 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 123 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 127 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 129 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. L. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 134 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 135 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord of Burleigh 136 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 137 L. Burleigh to Sir Fr. Walsingham 138 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 139 L. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 140 Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh 141 Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh 144 The Q. to Sir Francis Walsingham 145 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 146 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Instructions for Hen. Killegrew Esq Ambassador in France during the absence of sir Francis Walsingham 147 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 149 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 150 Sir William Cecil to Sir Francis Walsingham 151 Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh ib. Lo. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham twice 152 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 153 Instruction for sir Thomas Smith Ambassador Entraorninary in France 154 Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh twice 160 Lord Burleigh to Sir Thomas Smith 161 L. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 163 L. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 164 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham twice 165 Sir Thomas Smith and Sir Francis Walsingham to the Queen 166 169 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 172 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 173 Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh 174 Sir Thomas Smith to the Queen 176 The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham 180 Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh 182 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 184 The Q. to Sir Thomas Smith and Sir Francis Walsingham 185 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 187 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 188 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 189 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 190 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh ib. Sir Tho. Smith to the Lord Burleigh 191 Sir Tho. Smith to the Lord Burleigh 193 Sir Tho. Smith to the Lord Burleigh 198 Sir Tho. Smith to the Lord Burleigh twice 199 Sir Tho. Smith to the Lord Burleigh 200 Sir Tho.
Smith to the Lord Burleigh 202 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh ib. Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 203 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 204 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh ib. The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham 205 Instructions for the Earl of Lincoln Ambassador extraordinary to the French King 206 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 212 Earl of Leicester to sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 213 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 214 Conference betwixt Duke Montmorency and some of the Queens Councel ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil 216 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester ib. Sir William Cecil to Sir Francis Walsingham 217 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester ib. Sir William Cecil to Sir Francis Walsingham 218 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 219 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil 221 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 222 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil 223 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 224 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil 225 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester ib. The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham 226 Q. Elizabeth to Sir Francis Walsingham 228 Sir William Cecil to sir Francis Walsingham 230 Sir Tho. Smith to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Tho. Smith 231 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Tho. Smith 232 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir William Cecil ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 234 The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham 235 Sir Tho. Smith to Sir Francis Walsingham 236 Sir William Cecil to Sir Francis Walsingham 237 Sir Tho. Smith to Sir Francis Walsingham 238 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Tho. Smith 239 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Tho. Smith ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Tho. Smith 240 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Tho. Smith 243 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 245 Lord Burleigh Earl of Leicester Sir Francis Knowles Sir Tho. Smith to Sir Francis Walsingham 246 Lord Burleigh to sir Francis Walsingham 250 251 Earl of Leicester to sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Tho. Smith to sir Francis Walsingham 252 253 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lords of her Majesties Councel ib. The Queen to sir Francis Walsingham 259 Sir Tho. Smith to sir Francis Walsingham 262 The Queen to the French King on the behalfe of the Vidam of Chartres 263 Lord Burleigh to sir Francis Walsingham 264 Earl of Leicester to sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to sir Tho. Smith 265 Sir Francis Walsingham to sir Tho. Smith 267 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 269 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 270 Answers to the French Ambassador 271 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 273 Sir Tho. Smith to sir Francis Walsingham 274 Sir Francis Walsingham to sir Tho. Smith 275 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Tho. Smith 276 twice Sir Francis Walsingham to sir Tho. Smith 278 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 281 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 282 Sir Tho. Smith to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. The Lord Burleigh to sir Francis Walsingham 283 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 284 285 Sir Francis Walsingham to sir Tho. Smith 86 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 287 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Tho. Smith ib. Earl of Leicester to sir Francis Walsingham 288 Lord Burleigh to sir Francis Walsingham 289 Sir Francis Walsingham to sir Tho. Smith ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 290 Sir Francis Walsingham to sir Tho. Smith 291 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 292 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 293 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 294 Sir Francis Walsingham to sir Tho. Smith 295 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 296 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 297 The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Sir Tho. Smith to Sir Francis Walsingham 299 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 301 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Tho. Smith ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 302 Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh 303 Sir Francis Walsingham to the L. Burleigh 304 306 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Thomas Smith 307 Sir Fr. Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 308 Sir Francis VValsingham to the Lords of the Council ib. Sir Thomas Smith to sir Francis Walsingham 310 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham ib. Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 311 Sir Francis Walsingham to sir Thomas Smith 312 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 313 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 314 Sir Thomas Smith to Sir Francis Walsingham 315 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 316 317 Instructions for the Earl of VVorcester 318 Earl of Leicester to Sir Francis Walsingham 322 Sir Thomas Smith to sir Francis Walsingham 324 Sir Francis VValsingham to the Earl of Leicester 325 Sir Francis Walsingham to sir Thomas Smith 326 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 327 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 328 Sir Francis Walsingham to sir Thomas Smith 329 331 332 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 333 Sir Thomas Smith to sir Francis Walsingham ib. Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 334 Answer of the Queen to the French Ambassador comcerning the Duke Alanson 335 Lord Burleigh to the French Ambassador 3â—9 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 343 Sir Francis Walsingham to sir Thomas Smith 344 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Leicester 345 Sir Thomas Smith to Sir Francis Walsingham 346 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 346 347 The Queen to Sir Francis Walsingham 348 Answer to the French Ambassadors ib. The Queen to King Henry of France 351 Instructions for Sir Francis Walsingham in his second French Ambasiy 352 353 c. For a League with France 355 Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Henry Cobham and Mr. Sommers 356 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh ib. Sir Henry Cobham to Sir Francis Walsingham 357 Francis of Valois Duke of Anjou and Alanson to Sir Francis Walsingham 358 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 359 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Queen 360 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 363 Lo. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 372 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 374 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 375 Sir Francis Walsingham Sir Henry Cobham John Sommers to the Lord Burleigh 376 Lo. Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 377 379 Sir Francis Walsingham Sir Henry Cobham John Sommers to the
potentissimum principem fratrem nostrum charissimum Gallorum regem residenti salutem Cum in tractatu qui inter Legatos nostros ad praedictam Principem missos ejusque serenissimi Regis Deputatos intercedit de amicitia pace renovanda augenda quae inter praedictum regem nos nostraque regna dominia subditos existit certi articuli de mercatorum nostrorum hinc inde comerciis negotiatione propositi fuerint de quibus propemodum quidem inter utrumque convenit nisi quod ante praefatam rei consummationem necessarium sit quosdam tà m à nostro quà m à praedicti regis parte constitui qui cum mercatorum prudentium consilio deliberent sintne illi articuli satìs ad rem aptè amplè compositi an vero alios quosdam immitores adjici expediat quibus commercii negotiorum ratio commodius regi exerceri possit Nos igitur de homine ad hanc rem idoneo cogitantes deque tua prudentia virtute industria in res nostras fide confidentes mandatorum procuratorum seu deputatum nostruÌ„ creamus constituimus per praesentes ut cum consilio principalium nostrorum si qui in illis partibus fuerit cum Regis praedict deputatis agas tractes unaque cum illis ea consideres statuas quae ad coâ—tinuendam augendam commercii intercessus necessitudinium necessaria vidâ—buntur Itemque de mertium vectigalibus tributis porteriis impositionibus iisque conditionibus quae ad mercatorum comertii libertatem securitatem pertinebunt rationes ineas Deque iis omnibus nos certiores facias ut re prope inspecta considerata quod é re fuerit decernamus concludamus quod ipsum simile à dict ' regis Legato hic fiet qui simile vicissim ab ipso rege mandatum habiturus est Et generaliter ut ea omnia tractes facias quae ad hanc rem necessaria erunt in tam amplis modo forma ac si in singulis magis speciale Mandatum haberes In cujus rei testimonium has litteras patentes â—ieri sigilli nostri impressione communi missimus Dat. in Regia nostra sancti Jacobi die mensis Maii Anno Dom. 1572. Regni vero nostri 14. Instructions given to the Earl of Lincoln Lord Admiral of England and one of the Lords of her Majesties privy Councel appointed by her Majestie to repair to the French King in Ambassage and at his arrival at Paris or elsewhere to be assisted for the execution of the matter underwritten with Sir Th Smith Chancellor of the Order and Fr. Walsingham Ambassador resident for her Majesty with the French King at St. Iames May 25. 1572. THe said L. Admiral shal have with him both Commission under the great Seal of England authorizing him and S. Th. Smith and Fr. Walsingham and Letters also to require the French K. to confirm the last treaty concluded at Blois by his oath whereupon he shall proceed first after his access to the K. obtaining by the Ambass resident for the demand of the said oath as is meet for the honor of the League of amity now concluded between their Maj. using therein all good speeches to assure him that according to such express words as are contained in the same Treaty for a mutual love and amity to be hereafter used and maintained between them her Maj. is fully bent in her heart to maintain the same on her part the rather because she doth assuredly hope that the K. wil do the like whereof his Maj. by his Ambass that he hath sent in the time of the late Treaty and negotiation of the same shewed many manifest arguments of his own special favourable directions of matters at sundry times resting in doubt between her Commissioners and his Maj. to more reasonable ends as appeared then otherwise would have 〈◊〉 ordered by his Ministers And so the L. Admiral having in this manner assured the K. of her Maj. ful and resolute determination to imbrace and hold fast this mutual amity he shal say that his coming thither is to visit the K. on her Maj. behalf and to attend upon his leasure and best oportunity to be present and to receive the K. oath to be made for ratifying of the said Treaty according to a clause in the said Treaty for that purpose And when the K. shal have accorded thereunto the said L. Admiral shal before hand percase by som privat conference had with some of the Secretaries of the State how and in what sort the ceremonies therof shall be observed so as the proceeding may be at the time at the solemnity thereof without any alteration And for the better proceeding herein the Lord Admiral shall have with him both Articles of the Treaties requiring the said oath and the manner form of like oath given by the said K. heretofore in like cases And the instrument also to be demanded in writing for testimony of the said oath with such other things as are thereto requisite so as the like manner may be used as near as may be agreeable to former usages and that there be with him present to assist him S. Th. Smith and the Ambass resident if they may be there to help And as for the place where the said oath should be given the said L. Admiral shal not refuse any that the K. shal appoint foreseeing only that he be not by reason thereof compelled to be present at any Mass to be said for the purpose but if it be in Church or Chappel he shal not refuse to require to take it in the same Furthermore although there is no other cause special of the sending of the L. Admiral at this time to the said K but to require his oath yet for that there may be many occasions offered of speeches in the matters where it shal be looked for that the said L. Admiral should answer the said K. to his satisfaction Therfore he wil in these things following accommodate himself as hereafter is mentioned wherein the said L. Admiral shal as occasion shall serve take the help of Sir Th. Smith who is also herein well acquainted In the matter of Scotland although the said L. Admiral be privy in what sort her Maj. hath hitherto proceeded so as he may by consideration thereof conjecture what is likely further to be her Maj. meaning yet to make her case the more plain he may wel hold opinion tht her Maj. meaneth not any thing more then that the Realm of Scotland may be brought to quietness and remain free from any invasion of any stranger wherby the liberty of that Crown and Nation should be impaired And he may wel remember of his own knowledge how often times since the Scotch Q. coming into our Realm we have bin wel disposed to have obtained an accord betwixt her and her Subjects but always when we were most earnest to have done her pleasure therein she
Lord Burleigh 380 Memorial for Mr. Sommers 384 Private Memorials for him 385 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 386 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Queen 387 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 388 389 390 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Queen ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh twice 392 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 392 394 Sir Francis Walsingham Sir Henry Cobham John Sommers to the Lord Burleigh 396 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh ib. Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 397 Points accorded and not according upon the League Offensive and Defensive 400 401 402 403 Sir Francis Walsingham Sir Henry Cobham John Sommers to the Lord Burleigh ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 407 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh ib. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Duke of Anjou 409 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 410 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 412 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 413 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 414 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham Sir Henry Cobham and John Sommers 419 Lord Burleigh to Sir Francis Walsingham 422 423 Answer to the Commissioners concerning the League Offensive ib Sir Francis Walsingham to the Queen 426 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 428 Conference betwixt the Queen Mother and Sir Francis Walsingham 429 Sir Francis Walsingham to the Lord Burleigh 434 439 Sir Francis Walsingham Sir Henry Cobham John Sommers to the Lord Burleigh ibid. NEGOTIATIONS OF STATE AFFAIRS BETWEEN The Lord Burleigh and Sir Francis Walsingham in the Reigns of Qu Elizabeth and Charls the 9. of France Anno Dom 1570. Instructions for Francis Walsingham Esquire sent by the Queens Majesty to the French King for the Matters following the 11 of August 1570. in the 12 year of Her Majesties Reign ELIZABETH R. FIrst you shall conferr with our Ambassador Sir Henry Norris knight upon this Charge now committed unto you and as you two shall think best to proceed therein for our Service so we are well content to allow your doings and for the repair and delivery of our Letters to the French King and to the Queen Mother with such other circumstances thereto belonging you shall also follow the advice and discretion of our said Ambassador The charge which we doe commit to you resteth only and principally upon this speciall Matter following whereunto we will that you direct your whole actions We desire that the Accord betwixt the King our good Brother and the Prince of Navarre Prince of Condé and the Admirall with the rest of the Company being the Kings Subjects might be made as favourable for the reasonable contentation and surety of the said Princes and their party as may be possible to the maintenance and continuance of them in the liberty of their Consciences for the cause of Religion And because we consider that there is no small labour made by some directly to impeach this accord and by some others though not openly to withstand is yet by doubtfull dealing in the granting to their Requests to ruine the said Princes and their party in the end We finde it the more necessary for us to use all good means to countervail such contrary labours and to procure not only a good Accord but therewith a continuance thereof as a matter which in our Conscience and Honor we think good both for the King and his whole Estate And therefore after you shall understand the state of the Negotiation of this matter by the Deputies of the two Princes with the King and wherein it shall be profitable for them that our Ambassador and you shall deal with the King or Queen-Mother in our Name Our meaning is you shall in this manner or the like declare our Intentions as Grounds whereupon you may lay the rest of our Reasons and perswasions that shall be thought good to be propounded to the King First you shall say that we earnestly request the King to set apart all manner of Jealousie that either hath been or may be insinuated to him of our meaning in this cause betwixt him and his Subjects for that we mean as well and so alwayes have to him and his Estate as if we were his naturall Sister and never had any intention to maintain or comfort any of his Subjects against him to move any trouble to his estate or to diminish any parcell of his Crown And yet you shall say That we will in this sort be plain with him thinking yet best to agree with good Friendship and Honor that we could never be well satisfied or content in our minds to have the said Princes and their party for professing of the Religion whereof they have freedom granted to them to be overthrown or distressed by means of partiality of their private Enemies as long as they never required in substance any other thing of the King then a permission to enjoy the benefit of the former Edicts granted unto them for the exercise of their Religion In the which we doe also consider that they had been so long suffered as a great portion of people of his Realm had been in their young years therein nourished and established and without opinion of damnation of their souls they could not change the same so as we pray the King to take this our plain dealing in good part and to interpret of our advice that we are bold to give him as one that meaneth first and principally best to him and his estate and no otherwise to his Subjects then shall in our Judgment further the quietness repose and augmentation of him in Honour Wealth and Surety You shall next to this say that we have partly considered of such Petitions and Demands as we be informed his Subjects have in most humble sort required to be granted to them And we note the substance of them to consist specially upon these points The first that they may be restored to his favour and grace as most humble and faithfull Subjects a thing most meet for a King to be granted both readily and bountifully and consequently to serve him with their lives lands and goods a thing also for a King most profitable to imbrace accept And the next that they may be permitted to serve almighty God by exercise of Christian Religion according to their Profession and to quietness of their Conscience a thing also in the sight of God most commendable and needfull of all Christian Subjects And last that they may have assurance hereof in some better sort then by former experience they have had a matter of most moment to be regarded for a full perfection of all the rest and without the which the rest are of no account In these Suits most humbly presented of Subjects to a most Christian King of so great a multitude of People consisting of such sundry kinds and estates of Princes of his blood of noble Captains of learned men meet for Government and Counsel of valiant
that one Merchant in this Town hath 14000 Câ—owns to be employed in that behalf To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Earl of Leicester MY very good Lord I leave to my Lord of Buckhurst to shew you how every way he hath bâ—n honourably entertained therefore in this behalf this onely will I say That such hath bin my Lords good demeanour as also of the Gentleman of his train as the King and his Court resteth very well satisfied and giveth both him and them great commendations protesting that sithence his coming to the Crown there was not an Ambassador of like Honosur here which I do not learn at those hands that will report otherwise then they hear to speak that which may best content us but from them at whose hands I do assure my self to have received the truth and for the increase of this good report he spareth to use no cost or liberality to such as by the King appointment have given attendance on him Touching other things the Duke of Longueville is lately departed from the Court with discontentment for that the Precedentship is adjudged to the Duke of Nemours protesting That so long as the Queen Mother liveth he will not come to the Court for he judgeth her to be the cause thereof I heare secretly that there is not the best liking between the two Queens whereof the young Q. is like to have the worst by common judgement for that here whatsoever our Mother commandeth taketh place and standeth for law And therefore if her Majestie desire to take any profit of France she must onely be the Messias and Mediatour I could therefore have wished that her Majestie had amongst other things bestowed some Present upon her The Kings Request unto the Pope for Count Galliâ—â—zos delivery is quite rejected who protesteth That if all the Hugonots in France were incamped about Rome he would not deliver him The King with this proud and disdainfull answer is very much offended I would he would give the Hugonots leave to make some proof what they could do for his delivery Touching a Bull set up against the Queen the Kings discontentment therewith and certain requests presented by the Spanish Ambassador here to the King I referre your Honour to Mr. Secretaries Letters And so leaving further to trouble your Honour I most humbly take my leave Paris the 5 of March 1570. To the Right Honourable Mr. Francis Walsingham the Q. Majesties Ambassador in France SIr I would not suffer this bearer passe without my salutations Master Bealâ— came this morning by whom and by your Letters I have understood from you such things as are of moment and so have I imparted them to her Majestie and mean as shortly as I can to procure answer for the return of the bearer her Majestie as there is good cause alloweth well of your service and so I bid you well to do and heartily thank you for your singular care and good will which you shew unto my Lord of Rutland who advertiseth me of very countifull From Westminster primo Martii 1570. By your assured as I was wont William Cecil And as I am now ordered to Write William Burleigh Sir Henry Norris maketh friendly report of you to her Majestie and to all others I write not to my Lord of Buckhurst because I think he is on the way To my very loving friend Sir Francis Walsingham Ambassador Resident for the Queens Majesty in France MY Lord Ambassador since my last Letter unto you I have little new matter worth the writing saving now we are much troubled with the Scotish causes the Commissioners of both parties are now here to write unto you what the end will be certainly as yet I cannot we find both sides very stiffe and hitherto those for the Kings partie very resolute for the maintenance of his Authoritie her Majesties scrupulosity touching his Title and Government we partly know The unworthiness of their Queen to rule she granteth but the instances of their cause to depose her from her dignity she can hardly yet be perswaded in so yet she remaineth much perplexed on the one side she is loth to set her up or to restore to her her estate again On the other side she is as loth to defend that which she is not well perswaded to have justice with it Between these her Counsell chiefly seek for these two things that her self may be preserved in suretie and the true Religion maintained assuredly For as the state of the world standeth and upon through examination of this cause it appeares that both the waies be dangerous touching the Q. of Scots for there is danger for delivering of her to her Government so is there danger in retaining her in prison her friends abroad begin to speak proudly for her we were wont also to have friends of our side if need were but as farre as I can see there is none of that side of the sea to be found that be Princes absolute well our case is the harder and we must say Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos Touching this matter as soon as it shall grow to any likelihood either of the one side or of the other I will advertise you and withall send you the reasons of the advice In the mean time whatsoever you may hear believe me there is no man in England can tell you which way it will go yet in respect of the King there and his continuall dealing for the said Q. her Majestie rather giveth in words more favorable that way then the other Mr. Norris is arrived here yesterday being Shrove-sunday when Mr. Secretary was created Baron of Burleigh and I think ere it be long shall have the office of privie Seal but as yet remaineth Secretary still and within a day or two Sir Thomas Smith is like to be called to assist him The Parliament is to begin the 2 of Aprill next the Queen Majestie thanks be to God is in very good health so are all your friends as you left them save Sir Nicholas Throckmorton our good friend Your wife was here lately to take her leave of her Majestie who used her very well and graciously I pray you let us hear as often as you can conveniently I would gladly understand of some good for the poore Cardinall Chastillion I desire and also long to heare of the Q. Majesties present how it is liked Thus with my heaâ—tie commendations I bid you heartily farewell the 26 March 1570. Your assured Friend R. Leicester To the Right Honourable my very good Lord the Earl of Leicester BY your Lordships of the 26 of February I find that there is some entrie made in the Scotish matters and that you see them so full of difficulties as whether on retaining or releasing there should be more safety you can hardly diâ—cern things well weighed as well at home as abroad The common opinion of such as are of judgement here and wish well unto her Majestie
discretion and secresie to deal in a matter of such consequence In the end having finished this point to leave the better taste with her of the matter I concluded being so warranted by my instructions that if this motion of hers should take effect the like never happened these many hundred yeares in respect of the great profit that would redound to both the Realms To this she answered that as she never desired any thing with like earnestness as she did this so if the same should not take place nothing could more grieve her For saith she besides the great benefit that will grow hereby unto both the Crowns on the successe of this match dependeth the quietness of all Europe This being all the talk that passed between Queen Mother and me I leave to trouble your Lordship any further humbly taking leave From Paris the second of Aprill Francis Walsingham To my very friend Sir Fr. Walsingham Ambassador for the Queens Majestie in France I Have upon the receipt of your Letter written by Sir E. Gilbert dealt with her Majestie touching your chargeable dwelling there I trust her Majestie will have due consideration thereof You shall perceive by her Majesties Letters her further pleasure touching Monsieur whose cause hath been broken to her by my Lord of Buck from the Queen Mother we perceive they deal very daintily and doubt much her Majesties intention to marriage at least that she had rather hear of it then perform it But assuredly I do verily believe her Majesties mind herein is otherwise then it hath been and more resolutely determined then ever yet at any time before yet doe they mean to deale so secretly on that side as though they will not yet believe it And accordingly her Majestie mindeth not to deal but as privatly as may be devised that if that should not take effect the lesse reproach is to either party her Majestie hath onely broken this matter with my Lord of Burleigh and me and I think will not use any more till some apparance fall out what is like to become of the matter The person of Monsieur is very well liked of his conversation is harder to know I see her Majestie misliketh not of his estate For she is of mind to marry with the greatest and he is left almost alone the greatest to be had The conditions will be all wherein I am right glad and we are bound to thank God to see her Majestie so well to stand to the maintenance of the cause of Religion For as there will be no great difficulty in respect of his person and estate to cause a marriage between them so yet I perceive with the impeachment any way of the true Religion here now established she will for no cause deal with him as you may perceive by her Majesties own Letters to you Albeit she doth not mean in respect of his policy to drive him in open shew in the mean time to renounce his own profession but conditionally that if they should match then wholly to maintain this aswell privatly as publiquely God send her Majestie alwaies during her life so to stand to the defence of so just a cause and withall his blessings upon her for us all that we may live and see her bring forth of her own body as may hereafter suceed her aswell in that happinesse as in the enjoyning of her kingdome So not doubting but we shall shortly hear from you I commit you to God In hast this 23 of March 1571. Your assured friend R. Leicester To our trusty and right welbeloved Francis Walsingham Esq our Ambassador Resident with our good Brother the French King ELIZABETH R. TRusty and welbeloved we greet you well we have seen your Letters of the 11 of this moneth written to the Lord of Burleigh our Secretary and perceive thereby your diligence in exploring further certain matters practised in Spain where you formerly wrot your doings wherein we doe well commend you and according to our former resolution whereof we lately advertised you we do now send unto the King of Spain this bearer our servant Henry Cobham one of our Gentlemen Pensioners for whose speedier and surer passing thither we have directed him to passe by you both to conferre with you and to utter unto you certain things from us wherein you shall give him credit and also to procure from the King our good Brother his passport and surety to passe throughout that Realm into Spain and likewise to return wherein we pray you to use some diligence to obtain the same for our said servant as you can consider the cause doth require we have instructed this said bearer of the Queen of Scots cause and have willed him to impart the same to you and having well conceived it we would have you there to let the Queen Mother understand so much thereof as shall be meet that she may know our sincere dealing therein And in your speech to her you may say that we do somewhat marvell that she doth so often sollicite and presse in the said Queen of Scots cause considering that we have not omitted to do any thing for her benefit which time and commodity would yield and that with reason we might do And specially we do the more marvell of the late urging of us therein considering the motion of the matter which she lately uttered to my Lord of Buckhurst Given under our Signet at our Mannor of Greenwich the 26 of March 1571. in the 13 yeare of our raign To the Queens Majesties Ambassador in France Mr. Fr. Walsingham my assured friend AFter I had sealed up my other Letters with Mr. Cobham I received yours of the 18 by Mr. York whereof I thought good to give you knowledge I am also to ascertain you that although the contrary may be reported my Lord of Leicester finding just occasion thereto doth by all good means to my knowledge further the marriage and therefore I think it reason that by such good means as your self may think meet both the Q. Mother and Monsieur de Anjou might understand his disposition so as he may be well thought of herein And if he find that his doing may be liked there if God be content with the cause it is very probable that it may take effect you see how plain I deal with you and the rather because I find by my Lord of Buckhurst that upon the hope you have of the amendment of Monsieur in Religion you do not mislike of the matter Surely if Monsieur be not rooted in opinion of evill Religion as by his young years it is not likely there might be argument made that marriage here with England would be becoming a Professor of the Gospel considering the towardness of him to be a Martiall Prince he may prove a Noble Conquerer of all Popery in Christendome with such aids as may joyn with him in the Empire and other where I wish he were capable of such a designe You see still the more I
move the same but finding now that he hath secretly named me for that place I do coldlieâ— deal therein knowing both my insufficiency and doubting of the success thereof but whether any shall come or who shall I surely cannot gess The Queens Majestie would have you to enquire what becometh of Liggons my Lord of Norfolks servant that hath of long time been about Paris and the Court. Here is some matter presently discovered that my Lord of Norfolk should still mind this matter of the Scotish Queen for there is intercepted a good portion of money in gold that was and by Letters in Cypher directed to my Lord of Harrife for help of the Scotish Queens party in Scotland and the same was sent by one Higford the Dukes Secretary who was by order from hence taken and committed at London and this day is examined by Sir Thomas Smith who yesterday went thither for that purpose What will follow I cannot now write but sorry I shall be that my Lord of Norfolk shall be found undutiful and yet if he be I am glad it shall be known and so I end with my prayer From Audeley-Inne by Walden the second day of September 1571. Your assured Friend William Burleigh I send you something from Scotland whereby you may see how small the Queen of Scots party is in Scotland To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh IT may please your Lordship to advertise her Majestie that according to her order prescribed me by her Letters bearing date the second of September I made report unto the King here of that which passed in sundry Conferences between her Majestie and his Ministers Monsieur de Foix and his Ambassador Resident as also apart with her Majesties Councel His answer was that he had great cause to give her Majestie thanks for her honourable enterâ—ainment given unto de Foix. until whose coming he could say nothing in answer of that which had passed by conference He protested that he desired nothing more then straight Amity with her Majestie and therefore thinking marriage the best means for the accomplishing thereof it should be no small grief unto him if the same should not take place whereby that perfect Amity might ensue that might be beneficial to both the Crowns This was the effect of this present answer Her Majestie is very much beholding to the D 3. who standeth most earnestly in defence of her honour against any that seek any way to touch the same she seemeth to think her self much bound to her Majestie for that it pleased her Majestie to vouchsafe once to write I suppose a few lines of thanks bestowed on her again from her Majestie would win her to be a good instrument to give advertisements of such things as are sit for her Majestie to know Queen Mother is much governed by her and therefore she may be the better able to do the greater good And if may further please her Majestie to bestow some ring on her I think the profit that would grow thereof in time will make her Majestie think it well bestowed Of late there is a great sum of money to the sum of 15000 franks made here in Poictu by the Queen of Scots Officers an the same barrel'd up and sent to Paris and from thence as I hear it shall be conveyed into Scotland to those of her faction there yet as I am informed that ill success that the money that they sent before had maketh them to stand in doubt to convey it by sea and therefore if they may conveniently they would rather make it over to London by exchange whereunto by your Lordships order if there may an eye be had it will easily be discovered the sum being so great The Admiral arrived here the twelfth of this Moneth Touching the manner of his receiving I refer you to the report of this Gentleman Mr. Lyster her Majesties servant whom I have throughly instructed what I have truly learned in that behalf The day after his arrival he sent a Gentleman unto me with this Message that in respect of the place I hold he was bound for the great favour shewed by her Majestie generally unto them of the Religion in the time of their necessity as also particularly unto his Brother to have come and visited me but he desired me to consider what suspicion would grow thereof which might rather do harm then good notwithstanding he assured me that her Majestie should always find him ready to serve her with the hazard both of life and goods whensoever any occasion should be presented to shew the affection and good will he beareth her Majestie in respect of the bond he oweth her Generally all those of the religion who are the flower of France do make like protestation assuring her Majestie that when occasion or tryal shall be offered she shall find them no less ready to serve her then if they were her own natural Subjects The Marriage between the Prince of Navarre is not so forward as Queen Mother was in preparation at Paris who had provided both Jewels and Wedding-garments The onely impediment as I hear is Religion There departeth shortly towards the concluding of this matte towards the Q. of Navarre who is now gone to Arragon to certain Baynes there for her health Byron and Beaâ—voys Co. Lo. left a man here of purpose to attend her Majesties answer touching those things that I propounded on his behalf in my letter sent by Mr. Dannet The resolution of that enterprize stayeth onely upon the expectation what her Majestie will do and it is feared that the matter will be so long protracted as the opportunity of the enterprize will be let slip which if it so fall out the unkindness between this Crown and Spain will be reconciled which I fear will not tend most to her Majesties safety and so do as many fear as love her Majesty here The house of Guise secretly doth travel by all means to break the Amity with England for that they think nothing will more prejudice the Queen of Scots their Kinswoman then the same Touching my own private estate my disease groweth so dangerously upon me as I most humbly desire her Majestie to take some speedy order for some to supply my place I hope my life shall stand her Majestie in more stead then my death and upon these extream points standeth the defering of the cure I hope therefore her Majestie will have consideration of it accordingly Thus leaving further to trouble your Lordship at this present I most humbly take my leave At Blois the sixteenth of September 1571. Your Honours to Command Fr. Walsingham To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh IT may please your Lordship to advertise her Majestie that within three days after Monsieur de Foix arrival the King sent for me and after my access unto him he willed me first in his name to thank her Majestie for the honourable entertainment
the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Earl of Leicester BY your Lordships of the twentieth of October sent by Mr. Killegrew I conceive great hope of her Majesties consideration of my chargable living here and because your Lordship hath been a most earnest furtherer of the same I most humbly thank you as also for that it pleaseth your Lordship to promise the continuance of your said furtherance when occasion shall be offered wherein the same will stand you in any stead which I will presume with that boldness to use as I hope your Lordship will imploy me wherein your Honour may have any use of my poor service The cause of my present sending is to advertise of the victory had by sea of the Christian against the Turk The Conflict was the seventh of the last moneth not far from Câ—rfu between Morea and Lepanto There escaped as the Venetian Ambassador gave me to understand onely four of two hundred Gallies other particularities as then he knew not I send your Lordship also a little Pamphlet that they have put in print here touching the said victorie of what credit I know not Whatsoever shew the King here giveth of joy outwardly inwardlie he doth not best like of the victorie as that thing which addeth too great an increase of reputation to the King of Spain I think therefore no time more fit to treat of Amitie then at this present I do not therefore doubt but that your Lordship will urge her Majestie most earnestlie to take profit of the time by sending with convenient speed him over whom she meaneth to use in this behalf And so leaving further to trouble your Honour at this present I most humblie take my leave At Paris the seveâ—th of November 1571. Your Honours to Command Francis Walsingham To my assured Friend Francis Walsingham Esq Ambassador in France and my brother in Law Henry Killigrew Esq and to either of them HAving this present occasion to send two of my Lord of Oxfords men to Paris at his Lordships request I thought good also therewith to send to you this little Treatise therewith newly printed in Latine in commending or discommending the Qu. of Scots actions to further her Marriage with Bothwel I hear it is to be translated into English with addition of many other supplements of like condition The Queens Majestie hath sent for my Lord Gray to come thither into France and if his health cannot serve him Sir Peter Gray shall come Her Majestie with furtherance of her whole Councel is certainly resolved to send one thither My Lord of Hunsdon is at Berwick by computation yesternight and his Commission is to set a good face upon the matter to bring Grange and the Castle to the Kings devotion if he cannot we of her Councel are of opinion that England shall inforce them And yet it shall do well that no such thing be notified to the French King My Lord Marquis dyed at Warwick on Sunday the loss of a good Councellour The case of the Duke of Norfolk falleth even out by branches to be more odious The B. of Ross is in the Tower where he uttereth many things right plainly and yet you need not be known thereof I pray let the bearers hereof if they shall have need of your friendship find that your friendship is readier for my commendations I think to marry my daughter at Christmass From Richmond the first of November 1571. Yours assuredly Wil. Burleigh To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh BEsides Mr. Killigâ—â—ws advertisements as from the Court I thought good to give your Lordship to understand what they do here at Paris The Marshal de Coss hath been here imployed of late by the French King in procuring a Loan which is granted and the same is presently in leavying the people murmur much at it and yet do not refuse to pay it Marshal Montmorency repaired to this Town the third of this moneth accompanied with 300 horse The next day after his arrival he and the Marshal de Coss conferred with the chief of this Town about the plucking down of the Cross which was resolved on and the same presently put in execution the Masons employed in that behalf being guarded by certain Harquebusâ—ers The common people ease their stomacks onely by uttering certain seditious words which is born withal for that was doubted the Protestants by the overthrow of this Cross receive greater comfort and the Papists the contrary Touching my particular I find it will be the latter end of the next moneth before I shall return to my charge for that I am diseased by three sundry Carnosities which will require the longer time in the cure Thus much I thought good to give your Lordship to understand for that I fear her Majestie will think somewhat otherwise in my long stay here And so leaving further to trouble your Lordship at this present I most humbly take my leave the seventh of Decemb. 1571. Your Honours to Command Fr. Walsingham To the Right Honourable Francis Walsingham Esq her Majesties Ambassador Resident in France SIr the bearer hereof is one whom you may trust as I am informed And if he shall require you to send any his Letters to be conveyed into Scotland he is content that they shall come into my hands whereby I shall not be the worse informed of things meet to be known He can shew you both of Scotlands causes and of Englands Sir Thomas Smith is ready to depart thitherward from hence to morrow if the French Ambassadors Negotiation here with her Majestie this afternoon whilest I am writing this Letter do not prolong the same My Lord of Oxfords servants were constrained by contrary winds to tarry at Callis so as they came not hither before Sunday last at which time came also Fiasco the Genevoise who had likewise stayed at Callis for the same purpose and at his coming he maketh all to be sound between Spain and France and would not be known of the Spanish Ambassadors passage into the Low Countrey nor of any thing done in Henault and yet he did not understand by us here that he had any knowledge thereof from you And so I end wishing to hear of your amendment by Physick At Greenwich the fifth of December 1571 Yours assuredly William Burleigh To the Right honourable Francis Walsingham Esq her Majestes Ambassador Resident in France SIr such sufficient persons of understanding credit and acquaintance as this bearer Sir Thomas is may serve to excuse me from writing of any long Letters and therefore I mean to touch things by notes and peice-meals He can tell you of the Duke of Norfolks case but percase not when nor how it takes end neither can I help him to inlarge his knowledge but I think the Queens Majestie will therein deal more substantially then many do imagine He can tell you how straitly the Queen of Scots is kept having now but ten persons of her own of all
Ambassador in France your Majestie knoweth in what state he is and the poor Gentlewoman his wife Yea saith she that pity of her is that maketh all this haste and I am sorry for her but there is no remedy he cannot now go before Midlent or Easter Well Madam quoth I seeing it be so may it please you may he be sure to go at Easter and may I write so to my Lord Ambassador Yea saith her Majestie now you have my Commission and so much I can say judge of it as you shall please but I assure you my Lord of Leicester my Lord Treasurer my Lord Admiral and I and some other of your friends have done what they can for your return but whether it be Fatis or what else hath letted I know not nor can guess but I perceive what is the issue at this time You are a wise man and can comfort your self with wisdom and patience and the rather if the promise do hold that by Easter you may return My Lord of Worcester bringeth full instructions for that he hath to do or may fall out in communication the which he must and will communicate unto you and use therein your advice I send you some Occurrents out of Scotland If you would know what we do here we play at tables dance and keep Christmas The Queens Majestie and all the rest of my Lords thanks be to God be in good health My Lord Privy-Seal what with age and sickness is not thought long to abide in this world and the Earl of Kents health is almost desperate Farewel From Hampton Court the twelfth of Ianuary 1572. Yours alwayes assured Tho Smith To the Right Honourable Francis Walsingham Esq Ambassador Resident for her Majestie in France SIr I am both sorry and ashamed that I cannot write of any matter meet for satisfaction in your own case as I would and as I know you have had occasion to expect but the impediments thereof I know you shall understand by other your friends and therewith do assure you that whatsoever any of them do write of my former care taken for you and that I have now promised to follow I have as much or more and will continue and persevere to the utmost of my power and so wish you as much patience as you have cause of grief This bearer finding me here at my house at Westminster telleth me that he is dispatched from the Court I think iâ— needless to advertise you of the coming of my Lord of Worcester and for that I think surely that Mr. â—â—cretary doth advertise you of all things I do forbear Glasco Davisoâ— longeth to heâ—â— from Lyoâ—s 9 the ship abode in the place appoiâ—â—ed 23 days And so I end trusting to see you here amongst your friends within this â—ix weeks at the least to be revoked at that time From Westminster the â—2 of January 1572. Your assured friend Will. Burleigh To my very loving friend Mr. Francis Walsingham the Queens Majesties Ambassador in France THe cause of her Majesties longer stay of your abode there and not to send presently D. Dale is onely in respect of some persons you have there to deal withall which you may easily conceive whom I mean though I name them not the cause I write it not plain is lack of a cypher having worn mine to pieces this progress time in carriage and pray you to bear the more with this dark writing but it concerneth such as you wrote a little of to my Lord Treasurer Her Majesty doubteth greatly the state of that person and hath in expectation that some great matter will proceed from them and neither doth she think Dale to be a fit man to be imployed neither that the other will deal frankly with him as with you For my part I am perswaded that great matters will fall that way and surely you shall do well to enter the more speedily and deeply with them for the knowing of their whole intent I must but tell you mine own conceit I fear it be but a practice to dandle us for so many are acquainted here with the cause I mean of that Nation but it is impossible but that the Ambassador here must know it Besides I see that the hope of the marriage is still entertained here and our Mistres made to think it is ever â—incerely meant which if it were indeed and the other matters true of the parties disposition what could with-hold to put that in execution which were most like for him to get it for his own value must sue more for him then his friends commendation or else his party here will be little as I think But this manner of dealing I see serveth to no purpose but winneth them time and loseth us all good opportunities and hindreth your returâ— where your friends wish you both for your self and chiefly for her Majesties better service You shall do well therefore for her Majesty for I cannot imagine what good this great suspence will do her to seek by all means you can at their hands to know their full mind and the scope of their intent for by these the dealing of the Ministers here with her Majesty hath no cause to find any way direct or substantiall she takes great hinderance otherwise and no good shall come to them neither in this sort of proceedings And as none here are privy to the matter but my Lord Treasurer and I so is it too great a burthen so long to conceal her Majesties so great hindrance of her greater causeâ— as the time wants for lack of certainty through understanding the intent and bottom of this Cause which surely hitherto giveth more cause of suspition of practise then of good meaning And yet if it were minded as they pretend except they proceed otherwise then I perceive yet they do they shall rather hurt themselves and us both then further any good purpose that may bring hope of that good success we would wish Thus as well as I can utter my poor conceit both for your self and us and do wish you to deal accordingly with all speed and to return your answer thereof with all diligence you can and thereupon we wil take occasion again to procure your return which if staying might yield service to her Majesty and good to the Countrey I would no way hinder if you were my brother Otherwise finding no more cause then I do you have no friend here will further sooner the other My Lord of Worcester hath desired me to write to you that you would deal friendly and frankly with him he disableth himself and trusteth to your advice in all such sort as belongeth to his place I heartily require it for him onely it may suffice you to know he is a Papist and a favourer of all such especially a â— otherwise a good simple Gentleman and fit for the Christning Shew him I pray all the courtesie you can as I doubt not of it My Lord Privy Seal is dead this
See Walsingham Abhors a war 374 377 Forward to advance the revolt of the Low-Countries 379 381 388 Cold in the cause of the Bastard Don Antonio 379 388 Aides him 383 Emden Countess 149 England no Country once so free from impositions 21 English how thought of by the French 325 Zealous Subjects for the Queen 335 341 Escars 8 Este Cardinal 357 F Felton sets up Pius his Bull against the Queen 49 Feria Duke 59 Ferrara Duke 42 43 Fernihurst Lord 373 Fitzmorris Iames 42 167 168 347 Flemming Lord 78 139 181 183 Flushing Rebels 217 Francis the Second of France 12 Francis of Anlanson and Anjou See Anjou Duke French greatness dangerous 127 Disorders in Government 240 246 Spoil the English 265 Their falsenesse and dissembling 276 Desirous to get Leicester and Burleigh into France 277 G Galloway Bishop 77 Gilbert Sir Hâ—mphrey 299 Glasgow Arch Bishop 299 302 Grandmont Mons. 267 Graunge Governour of Edenburgh Castle 151 152 Gray Baron Deputy of Ireland 359 373 389 Guarda Bishop 358 Guise house 36 for the Scots Queen 192 240 Duke 267 269 275 295 314 428. Cardinal 280 H Hamilton Earl 138 Hanging of Gentlemen not used in France 279 282 Harris Baron 134 Hawkins Sir Iohn 126 379 Henry the II King of France 12 Henry the III forbids exercise of Religion to the Hugonots 356 Earnest for the match with his brother and the League 376 Will have no League Offensive without it 440 His great charges in the Treaty 397 Henry the IV Prince of Navarre 16 245 Hosteni Duke 221 Hugonots of France 2 3. run themselves into the Kings nets 122 Their Lands on sale 245 Great servants of the English Queen 135 Love not the Cross 151. See Massacre Hume Lord 214 320 329 Hunsdon Baron 151 Huntley Earl 138 312 315 333 I Jenlis 223. defeated in Henault 225 Jersie Iland 272 Jesuites mortal enemies to the Queen 172 173 Inn Keepers of Kent 21 Inquisition 123 Instructions for the Earl of Worcester 318. For Sir Fra. Walsingham 352 For a League with France 355 Joyeuse Duke 294 440 K Katherine Queen Mother of France 6 12 35. per tot c. Killigrew Henry 145 Kirkaldie Iames 302 L Languedoc Hugoâ—ots rebel 294 Lansac Mons. 24 49 239 La Valette â— Leagues how made 171 414. With France publick and secret 355 Not liked without the Match 364 365 388 366 367 368 399 392. Causes of it 372 374 403 422 423. Leicester his good and pious sentences 47 51 69 82 105 116 324. To be fastned for the Match 104. Slights the Earle of Worcester 312 Lennox Earle 138 Levingston Lord 4 77 244 312 326 334 Liberty under the English Princes heretofore as great as any where 61 Lidington Lord 152 137 244. Lincoln Eâ—â—le Lord Admiral sent into France 201 205 219. Lodowick Count of Nassaw 54 121 123 176 184 333. Notably cheated by the French King 125 258 Longaville Duke 50 Lorrain Cardinal 8 38 73 74 77 123 167 168 314 331. Duke 88 301 Loughleuin Lord 302 Low-Countries the pretence of their Revolt 123 M Maine Duke 395 Malicorn Mons. 27 Mannesiere Mons. 240 265 287 288 297 298 299 301 304 305 307. Mary Queen of Scots 4 10 11 12 13 137 139 152. Not to be spoken for 321 Margaret of France reads the Bible 122 Martinengo Count 306 Marre Earl 138 299 Marriage treated betwixt Henry of Navarre and Margaret of France 122 135. Doubts in it 182 183 Betwixt the Queen and Henry of Anjou designed 55. Instructions concerning it 61 62 63. See 68 69 70 Articles of it 83 84 85 86 131 132. Counsellors imployed in it 66 83. Carryed on inconstantly 133. Not taken in earnest by the French 67. Betwixt the Queen and Francis of Anjou 218 226 227 229 230 330 331 336 339. Eagerly pursued 360 361 362. See 390 Marriage Solemnity betwixt Princes of different Faiths 175 Medina Coeli Duke 189 195 Memorials for Mr. Sommers 384 385 Mendoza thrust out of England for practising against the Queen 163 Mildmay Sir Walter Monluc Marshal 8 Montmorency Duke 8 97 102 108 151 188. In England 201 218 231 240 Monts in Henault besieged 245 taken 258 M organ General 217 M oreton Earl 77 138 244 299 Beheaded 431 Moth Fenelon French Embassador 30 90 138 141 c. Murther on shooters hill 347 N Navarre King turned by his wife 91 Queen 24 176 182 183 Nemours Duke 50 Nevers Duke 238 258 300 New star 299 Norfolk Duke 134. His plots discovered 137 140 148 Norris Sir Henry 19 18 19 20 22 23 Northumberland Earl 3 75 Executed 237 Nouë Mous. 184 297 301. Persidious 332 O Odonnel 359 373 Ogleby Lord 312 Olivarez Conde 40. More grave then wise 56 Orange Prince 48 122 144. To have been 〈…〉 of Bâ—abant c. if the Spaniard could have been beaten out 128. See 225 226 240. Retires into Germany 267 269 295 333 Ormond Earl 238. Discontented 373 Oxford Earl 134. Married to the Lord Burleighs daughter 164 P Parliament of 1571. impertinently busie 94. Bloody 203 219 Parma Prince 381 384 Perrot Sir John 347 Philip the second of Spain entertains the Queens fugitives 58 59. How he carried things towards the Queen 369 370 Pinart Secretary of France 23 31 122 305 309 375 Plots upon Ireland 58 Poigney Mons. 4 Popes Authority in England destructive to the Crown 4. Designs again England 36 Princes have no other bridle but Religion 91 Princes of Germany of the Reformed Churches 301 R Rebellion in the North coloured with Religion 3 Rhee Iland taken by the Rochellers 301 Religion is a constant perswasion confirmed by time 191. Cannot be more then a pretence to invade what is another mans 155 Ridolf 95 137 Rochel in rebellion 280 297 301 302 Besieged 331 Rolph a counterfeiter of the Kings hand 266 Romero Juliano 27 Ross Bishop 5. 77. restrained 107. in the Tower 151 Roulart Canon of Nostre Dam murthered 246 Rutland Earl 39 42 141 S Saint Andrewes Arch-Bishop taken 78 Sancerre besieged 332 348 Savoye Duke 287 293 303 Schomberg Baron 332 Scots Lords come to treat concerning their Queen without a Commission 77. Everlasting Rebels 101. Yet will not live without a Prince of their own 178. Gracious in France 244. Will do any thing for money 249 320 324 329. Seton Baron 27 36 95 177 181 Sidney Sir Henry 82 Sir Philip in France at the time of the Massacre 250. of rare parts 273 Skeldon 36 Smith Sir Thomas 51 54 134 152. imployed in France 153. Thinks Charles the Ninth a faithful Prince 169 180 261 318 Sommers Henry 354 Sora Duke 356 Spaniards of what carriage 56. Ambitious enemies to England 121. Conquer Portugal 358 Spanish greatness dangerous 354 355. Mony arrested 81 Spinoâ—a Cardinal 59 Story Doctor will not swear allegiance Hanged 105 Strozzi Peter 95 188 189 217 251 294 359 Stukeley 36 41. Knighted by the Spaniard 56 59. in disgrace 105 Suffex Earl 5 T Tauannes Viscount 258 Terçaera holds for Don Antonio 421 Tilignie Mons. 276 Time a great advantage in the minority of Princes 298 Throgmorton Sir Nicholas 45 287 Treaties of Princes Of the Queen with Charles the IX 155 156 157 158 c. 185. With Henry the III passages and propositions in it 399 400 401 423 Tresham Sir Thomas 390 Turein Vicount 367 385 V Valentinois Bishop 302 Valx Lord will take no Oath to the Queen 290 Venetians at sea 312 Victory at Lepanto 149 150 Viracque Mons. 137 315. taken 334 342 Vitelli Marquiss of Colona 44 48 223 Vimioso Conde 394 434 W Walsingham Sir Francis Embassador in France 1 c. Received by the King 22 23. Much mistaken in his French Creed 82 83 104 118 122 144 173 252. Calls Charls the IX sincere pius inimicus c. 175. Confesses his overmuch confidence 257. See 270 Thinks the French King the only dissembler 300. Sets spiâ—s over the Lord Seton acts without war◠〈…〉 Earnest for the match 96. Perswades to war with Spain 127. Would turmoil all other Princes and why 128. Undermines a Iesuite 172. Desires only not to lose by his service 188. His opinion of the Spaniards 234. Ill used in France 242. Called off 253. The Queenâ— great opinion of him 263 and love 275. Advises against the Queen of Scots life 267 268. Fearful every where of the Queens sparing 303 c. 357 426 427. Too open 322. Poor in France 326 327. Sent again into France 352. Blames the Queen and why 408. Calls the Scots Queen bosom Serpent 427. returnes 440. War when and what just 127. Necessary where 128 Westmoreland Earl 3 143 275 299 Williams Sir William 313 Worcester Earl 307. Abused by Leicecester 312. His instrnctions for his French Embassy 318. Dishonorably dealt with by the French 327. Will not see his sister the wife of a Rebel 328 Writing to the Scots Queen in linnen 328 * Quâ—re †Quere My Lord of Kildares man in the Tower hath by some fear of the Rack confessed all to be true wherewith he was charged which is to be kept awhile secret until some persons may be apprehended
THE Compleat Ambassador OR TWO TREATIES OF THE INTENDED MARRIAGE OF QU ELIZABETH Of GLORIOUS MEMORY Comprised in LETTERS OF NEGOTIATION OF Sir Francis Walsingham her Resident in France TOGETHER With the Answers of the Lord BVRLEIGH the Earl of LEICESTER Sir THO SMITH and others Wherein as in a clear Mirror may be seen the Faces of the two Courts of England and France as they then stood with many remarkable passages of STATE not at all mentioned in any HISTORY Faithfully Collected by the truly Honourable Sir DVDLY DIGGES Knight late Master of the Rolls LONDON Printed by Tho Newcomb for Gabriel Bedell and Thomas Collins and are to be sold at their Shop at the Middle-Temple Gate in Fleetstreet 1655. To the Reader READER YOu are here presented with a PEICE never intended for the Press which hath slept long amongst the Papers of Sir DUDLEY DIGGES late Master of the Rolls a Personage of known Wisdom and Integrity and who understood well the value of this Manuscript which had nothing forged or supposititious in it There is no kind of Writing that men do generally with more greediness look into then LETTERS especially if they be Letters of State from Great and Wise Persons and in a Wise Time as these are And that appears in the Two Volumes of Letters lately printed under the Titles of CABALA and Secrets of Empire which have been very well resented and though indeed they have no Coherence of Time or Matter but are a Rapsodie of the dispersed thoughts of the Dead upon several occasions yet like a Prospect of Various Objects have delighted the Curious Eye This Collection being a continued Negotiation of Sir FRANCIS WALSINGHAM during his three years Residence as Ambassador in that Mysterious Treaty of Queen ELIZABETHS Marriage successively with the two Great Brothers of VALOIS wil without doubt meet with an equal if not a better reception and not onely please the Judicious sight with its Order and Uniformity like a large Prospect at sea but may be of great use to those Gentlemen that shall be bred up to serve Princes hereafter in this kind of Honorable Imployment And though the English have been hitherto so reserved as not to make publike the Treaties and Negotiations of their Ambassadors abroad so that we have hardly any notion of them hut by their Arms which are hung up in Inns where they passed yet the French and Italians who think themselves as wise and as good Polititians have frequently done it which we see and read with delight as giving a better account of Affairs Times and Persons then any History can do unless men of Action and great Statesmen could find leisure as CAESAR and some others did to set down with integrity the several Passages of their Times The Persons who acted this Scene and who speak by their Letters are the QUEEN her self LEICESTER BURLEIGH WALSINGHAM and Sir THOMAS SMITH such a Iuncto for abilities as were sufficient to govern the whole world but the chief ministerial parts lay upon BURLEIGH and WALSINGHAM two such Ministers of State as no age in this Nation hath produced their Equals Of her Royal-self whom all EUROPE did either honor or fear I shall onely say That as she had the judgement to make good choice of her Servants though she rewarded but sparingly like her Grandfather HENRY the seventh yet she had the Fortune to find them more loyal and secret then those Princes that succeeded her notwithstanding their great gifts and effusion of the Treasure of the Crown which now with their bodies lies buried in the Dust. And if at any time it concerned her to be well served it was in this great Treaty of a League and Marriage with FRANCE where she had to do with as cunning a Lady as her self the Queen Mother and with the King her Son CHARLS the ninth the deepest Dissembler that ever wore Crown For the Match it self whether it were really intended by the FRENCH I make some doubt of the first namely that with the D of ANjou afterwards HENRY the third but do rather think it was set on foot with design to amuse our Queen and the Protestant Princes of FRANCE and to breed a Confidence the better to draw them into the Net at Paris I mean the barbarous and bloody Massacre on St. Bartholomews Eve 1572. being the second year of this Negotiation and by reason of the close carriage thereof could never be discovered by our quick-sighted Ambassador with all his Spyes and Intelligencers till he was almost overwhelmed in it himself For the second Treatie which was set on foot in the year 1581. with Monsieur the Duke of ALANSON I do conceive that it was really intended by the FRENCH and by the chief of the ENGLISH Councel except LEICESTER who had pretensions of his own but for her own Mind what that really was I must leave as a thing doubly inscrutable both as she was a Woman and a Queen Concerning that Immortal hatred that grew between her and the Queen of SCOTS occasioned by difference in Religion contrary State-Interest Neighboring Kingdoms Emulation of Greatness and perhaps of Beauty too and wherein all the Princes of Christendom did interpose some one way and some another as will appear by these Letters I can resemble it to nothing better then the Poets faigned quarrel between JUNO and VENUS which did so often trouble the whole Family of their Gods and the Scots Queens assuming the Arms of ENGLAND in the time of her first Husband though she afterwards excused it as an act of constraint she being under obedience was that Manet alta mente Repostum That injury which could never be forgiven till it was expiated with her blood And though these Things were the main part of the Negotiation yet there falls in other important Matters concerning the Protestants of France and Germany the business of Ireland and the Low-Countreys the English Fugitives controversies about Merchant Affairs c. All so well digested and delivered in so plain and clear a stile without any pomp of Words or ostentation of Wit as renders the PEICE much more valuable to those that know a good Hand when they see it And if a man could be beholding to his Cyphers as Sir ROBERT NAUNTON saith speaking of these very LETTERS in his Fragmenta Regalia they would have told pretty Tales of the Times but I must leave the decyphering part to those that have more leisure and dexterity that way and conclude all with this reflection upon our Ambassador which will fall under the careful observers eye how vigilant he was to gather true Intelligence what Means and Persons be used for it how punctual he was in keeping to his Instructions where he was limitted and how wary and judicious where he was left free still advancing upon alloccasions the Reputation and Interest of his Great Mistris with a most lively and indefatigable Devotion October 16. 1654. A. H. A TABLE Of all the Letters contained
other Princes Then she made great protestation of her indifferencie and that she is no less affected in good will towards her Majestie whom it pleaseth saith she to do me the honour as to call me by the name of a Mother then to the Queen of Scots her Daughter in Law And therefore in wishing her liberty I do it saith she as much for the Q. your Mistress quientness sake as for any other respect which without her libertie can hardly grow unto her This Sir in effect was the whole course of the speech that passed from her in that behalf which she had then with me apart the King being then in talk with my Lord Ambassador Then she caused the King to deal with me in that behalf to whom I shewed the state of her cause according to the contents of my Instructions wherewith he seemed to be satisfied He told me that he wished that the Queen his good Sister according to her merciful inclination would have some compassion of her cause and grow to some speedy conclusion in that behalf I told him that I doubted not but that her Majestie would for his sake do that which should be to his contentation so far forth as might stand with her hononr and safetie Then he protested that otherwise he would not desire it Thus having imparted to your honor the effect of my Negotiation to the end you may advertise her Majestie I most humblie take my leave From Paris the 29 of August 1570. Your Honours to command F. Walsingham I have caused by my Lord Ambassadors means according to her Majesties order Monsieur Cavanes one of the Commissioners for the Princes to advertise them of her Majesties intention of sending me into these parts as tending chiefly to their benefits which thing he hath alreadie advertised and as I learn there cometh forthwith a Gentleman from the Queen of Navarre and the rest of the Nobilitie the King here being made privy thereof to give her Majestie thanks for the great favour shewed them in this their troubles Thus Sir having advertised you of the Accomplishment of that which was appointed to me to be done by vertue of my Instructions to the end you may impart the same to her Majestie I most humbly take my leave The Copy of my Letter to the Earl of Leicester RIght Honourable and my very good Lord for that I know my Lord Ambassador here imparteth unto your Lordship the present state of things here I shall need the less to trouble your Lordship in that behalf Touching my Message of Congratulation the King accepteth the same in very good part he professeth good will towards the Queen my Mistress and touching the Peace he protesteth to keep and observe the same inviolably which his proceedings hitherto doth very well confirm the same The mutinous Messiems of Paris he hath fundry times since his repair hither very sharply rebuked and charged them with contempt he adviseth them to take another course and saith he will be known to be a King And therefore for that his meaning is that the Edict should be duly observed he commandeth them straitly to look to the due observations of the same The like advertisement hath he given to the Presidents of his Parliament here who seem as yet to stand in some terms with him For whereas the King would have them sworn to the observation of the Edict they refuse the same alledging that in the entrance into their Government they ordinarily take an oath to observe all such Edicts as by the King shall be published what will be the issue of the refusal I know not The King telleth them that the passions of some of his Councellors hath been of more value then his Authoritie and therefore he assureth them which he confirmeth with many an oath that unless they turn over another leaf he will provide him of new Presidents and extend such punishment towards them as their contempt deserveth and may be admonishment to others to avoid the like As I can gather in the time of my short abode here by such a Conference aâ— I have had with some of judgement I find the grounds of the continuance of the Peace to be in number five his own disposition necessitie pleasure the Kings misliking with certain of his Council and his late favouring of others His disposition of Peace is not grown to-him of late but hath been from the beginning as those that have well observed him do testifie and therefore there is the more hope of continuance of the same His necessity hath two parts first he lacketh treasure to maintain the charges of further Wars Secondly those that have served him in these wars are grown so weary of them as men judge that hardly they could have been drawn to continue them any longer Pleasure and Warrs are direct contraries and he being so much inclined to the one as he is an enemy unto the other it is thought therefore that hardly any thing will bring him to do that that may hinder his pleasure His misliking towards the house of Giuse continueth who have been the nourishers of these wars And though of late the Cardinal of Lorrain hath had access to the Kings presence yet is he not repaired in credit neither dealeth he in Government His favour to Montmorencie a chief worker of this Peace increaseth who now carrieth the whole sway of the Court and is restored to the Government of Paris besides he hath procured the displacing of Monluc Monsieur d'Escars and la Valeâ—t and procured to be placed in their rooms c. These my Lord be the grounds that I can gather of the new accord the doubts of the not continuance are in number three First it is thought that this Marriage with the Emperours daughter may draw him from this peaceable inclination Secondly the great conference that is between the Q. Mother and the Cardinal breedeth some doubt of some practise to impeach the same Lastly it is a common fear that Monsieur can hardly digest to live in the degree of a Subject having already the reputation of a King he seemeth yet to run one course with the King in liking and misliking but so to continue it is altogether thought unlikely I have been desirous underhand to search out somewhat touching the thing your Lordship gave me secret informations of yet I can learn nothing thereof though that would be dangerous yet I pray God there be not a thing attempted of more danger which may with more ease be brought to pass I leave your Lordship to consider by that which hath been shewed both hope and fear of the continuance of this peace What will be the issue of this Tragedy I pray God that fall out that may be to his glory and so committing your Lordship to his tuition I most humbly take my leave From Paris the 29 of August 1570. Yours to Command Francis Walsingham To Master Secretary SIr being in doubt whether I might return before
advise given or no my Negociation being done in the end I concluded with my self that it was better to stay and to attend her Majesties order then to return home at all adventure This therefore shall be to desire your Honor that I may by your good means understand her Majesties pleasure in this behalf Touching the state of things here I forbear to write unto your honour for that I know my Lord Ambassador hath fully advertised you And so leaving further to trouble you at this present I most humbly take my leave To our trusty and well-beloved Francis Walsingham Esq present in the Court of France about our affairs ELIZABETH R. TRusty and well-beloved we great you well we perceive by your Letters written from Paris the 29 of the last moneth unto our Secretary how diligently and orderly you have performed the Message and Charge committed unto you which we take in very good and acceptable part being glad to understand your abilitie and fitness to do us further service hereafter And where among other things you desire to know our pleasure for your return unto us or further stay there Forasmuch as we have made choice of you to be our Ambassador Resident with our good Brother the French King instead of Sir Henry Norris whom we are very shortly to revoke we would be very glad so it would stand with your commoditie and without returning back hither you did remain there still for that purpose which if you can do upon signification thereof unto us we shall give order for our Letters of Credence to be addressed unto the said King and to be sent forthwith unto you for your placing with him as our Ambassador Resident there Howbeit if the necessitie of your business be such as you must of force be driven to return over and to settle your things here before you can be able to do us service there then are we well contented if there be no other remedie that you repair over some short while to prepare your self to return back again for our service with as convenient speed as may be Given under our signet at Rycot the 7 of September the 12 year of our Reign 1570. To our Right trusty and well-beloved Sir Henry Norris our Ambassador Resident with our good Brother the French King ELIZABETH R. TRusty and right well-beloved we greet you well whereas Monsieur Moulenet being lately with us did not only bring several Letters from the French King our good Brother and the Queen Mother by which the said King and she expresly required us to use towards the Queen of Scots all honest and favourable treatment due to a Queen of her quality and to set her at libertie and aid her to be restored to her Realm with Authoritie due to her but also according to the credit given by the said Letters he the said Moulenet did at length with very earnest speech deal with us therein alledging that in this doing we should much satisfie the King his Master and procure to our self great honor adding many other Allegations to induce thereunto to the maintenance of the said Moulenets speeches and negotiations Thereunto we have made some brief Answers as the time then served and as we thought meet to satisfie them But yet finding them to continue in their earnest solicitations and in the end earnestly requesting our Answer to the French King we told them that the time did not then conveniently serve us to send such an answer to them as the case required to our good Brother but we would shortly impart our meaning herein more at large by you being our Ambassador there Resident in such sort as we trusted our said Brother and the Queen Mother should find the same reasonable And so will we that you shall with your best opportunitie resort to them both and declare unto them that because of the length and varietie of the matters which we have committed unto you to be declared yet per case it be hard for you to express the same so orderly and readily in speech as you gladly would do you may require of the King license to read unto them in such sort as you have turned it into French a thing usual to this their Ambassador and not to be misliked especially in you that most herein use their language and not your own natural as their Ambassador doth here to his great commoditie And this being granted when you read it our meaning is not you shall deliver the same out of your hands to be kept or copied unless it be very earnestly prest by them And thus it followeth that you shall declare We have considered of the Letters sent unto us by Moulenet from them both with also the further explanation of the Contents thereof by him according to the credit given unto him The sum whereof was to require our favour towards the Queen of Scots in using her with favourable treatment due to a Queen of her qualitie and aiding her with our power to be restored to her Realm and obedience of her Subjects And though we did suddenly say somewhat to Moulenet on our own part to have satisfied him as we have done the like at sundrie other times to their Ambassador here Resident yet not knowing how they have conceived or delivered our speeches to the King our good brother nor how therewith he is satisfied which we are desirous to do in all reasonable requests according to the good Amitie that is and ought to be between us we have thought good at some more length to impart to our good Brother and Queen Mother both our doing and meanings in all this case of the Queen of Scots nothing doubting but the same being by them considered with their indifferent judgements it shall appear that we have done nothing hitherto in this case contrary to honour and reason or otherwise then very necessary and urgent cause hath moved us or might have moved any other Prince having the like cause neither yet in deeming the request of our good Brother the King in such sort and condition as it it made have we given him any occasion of offence towards us And this to do we are moved in good will in respect of the mutual Amitie that is betwixt the King and us and not of any necessitie we have to be accountable to any person for our actions and so we trust the King will accept the same in friendly manner And before he shall know what is to be said on our part we do earnestly require them both as a good Brother and a good Sister according to the fervent offers of their good amitie and perfect love made to us not only by their Letters but by Messages that they both will give ear hereunto as Princes and Persons standing indifferent in this cause without declination of their affection or adverting their judgements to the instigations of any particular persons that are more affectionate of nature to the person of the said Queen
with sickness or to follow his pleasures refer me over to his mother or to Monsieur his brother Whether it be her Majesties pleasure I shall treat with them For that the King giveth a deaf eare to a long negotiation whether having occasion to deal with him from her Majestie in some matter of weight and length I shall not exhibite the same to him in writing declaring first by mouth the effect thereof and if I shall exhibite it in writing whether her Majestie shall not think it most expedient to deliver the same either in Italian or Latin for avoiding of such Cavelling as may be made upon the translation to French whereof Sir Henry Norris hath had experience How far forth and in what sort from time to time I shall deal with the Rebells that presently are retired into France or hereafter shall retire How I shall behave my self in any publick Assembly towards the Ambassador aswell of Spain as of Portugall either in taking or giving place To my very loving Friend Francis Walsingham Esq appointed for Ambassador to the French King SIr I send you herewith the Queen Majesties instructions as they are finished and her Majesties pleasure is that you should not forbear your journey but proceed and if on the way you come to certain knowledge of the Kings speedier entrie into Paris meet to accelerat my Lord of Buckhurstes comming thither her Majestie would have you send some in haste back And so not well able to write any further but to end with my heartie wishing you a prosperous journey to your hearts desire 23 December 1570. Yours assuredly William Cecil Instructions â—iven to our trusty and wel-beloved servant Fra. Walsingham Esq presently sent to be our Ambassador Resident with our good Brother the French King the 19 of December 1570. ELIZABETH R. FOrasmuch as we are already determined to license our trustie and wel-beloved Sir Henry Norris Knight who hath of a long time served us faithfully as our Ambassador with the French King our good Brother to repaire over unto us and to leave that place and that we have made speciall choice of you upon a singular liking of your vertuousand good conditions to serve us in the same place wherein we trust our expectations shall be well satisfied of your fidelitie and diligence And for the rest also we doubt not but by the experience which you shall daiely have you shall be able to accomplish that which shall be requisite and for the better instruction of you we have thought meet to cause to be delivered unto you in writing these few things hereafter following by way of memoriall After you have delivered you letters and and bin presented to the King by our foresaid Ambassador whom you shall suceed for the doing whereof our said Ambassador can sufficiently direct you and will we doubt not but make good recommendations of you to the French King to the Queen Mother and others such as shall be thought meet we will that you shall use such speech unto them that it may appeare that your special Charge is to be a Minister for the conservation of the good Amitie that is betwixt us and the King and Consequently to preserve Concord and mutuall entercourse betwixt the Subjects of both our Countries according to the good Treaties that remaine betwixt us for that purpose and therefore considering you are so determined for your dutie sake to us and for the good that may ensue thereof you shall require them if at any time any thing to the contrarie shall be conceived of you as we trust shall not because you mean to give no occasion yet it may please them before any such judgement be conceived of you it may be in some wise declared as they may understand our answer wherewith you doubt not but to satisfie them Your office consisting of sundry parts the first and principall shall be to continue there aswell to execute our commandement and to deliver our letters and messages upon matters occurrent as to require and to receive answers and to the best that you can to procure thereupon reasonable and speedy resolutions as the nature of the matter shall import for the well doing whereof we must referre you hereafterwards to such particular directions as we shall send you by our speciall Letters whereby you shall be best directed in manner to proceed The second shall be to have continual regard to all manner of their doings there aswell private as publick that may be prejudiciall to us or our estate And therefore after good consideration and knowledge thereof had to advertise us diligently and secretly and to this end you shall do well to require of our said Ambassador your predecessor some good information by what means you may attaâ—n to the knowledge of things needfull and requisite and whom you may best trust and use to attaine to the more certenitie and if any thing be discovered unto you at any time that shall seem of importance that the information thereof may well abide the time of your advertisement to us and to answer again we leave it to your consideration and discretion to omit no time convenient but to resort to the King or some other as you shall think meet to declare what you understand and mislike and in what sort it is hurtfull to the Amitie betwixt us And therefore to require some information or some plain answer meet to be imparted to us for discharge of your duty And that in this behalf you shall not use by way of complaint upon any light intelligence but you do first by conference of things together find the matter to be true and worthy of complaint least hereafter lesse regard be had to you when you shall have just cause to complain The third is to have regard to such suites as our Subjects using the trade of Merchandise within those Realms shall have cause to make that they may have by your soliciting readie expedition with justice upon causes of depredations or arrests or any such injuries or molestations and therein to solicite such of the Kings Counsell as you shall find to have charge thereof letting them to understand that besides the bond of Justice whereunto they do direct the King such favourable expedition of our Subjects shall provoke us and our ministers to do the like and shall also breed mutuall love betwixt the Subjects on both parties and give cause to a more frequentation of intercourse of Merchants being a thing beneficiall to both the Realms And because you shall be the more able to understand and to treate in your conferences negotiation upon any thing generally touching the Amitie betwixt the King and us or more particularly for the deciding and determining of any causes that may come in controversie for the trade and intercourse of Merchandise betwixt the Subjects of both our Countries kingdoms you shall do well to have with you some Copies of the treaties now remaning in force betwixt us
respects if all be so well as outwardlie it sheweth then is he of bodie sound enough And yet at this present I did not finde him so well coloured as I esteemed him to be at my last being here Since my Arrival here there hath been great search made by divers means how I am inclined to Monsieurs attempt My general answer is that I left my private passions behind me and do here submit my self to the passions of my Prince to execute whatsoever she shall command me as precisely as I may not presuming to do any thing further then I shall be commanded And as for her marriage whensoever it shall please God to incline her to that Change I should forget my dutie towards her and my Countrey if I should not like very well thereof though my present calling requiretâ— me to do no more neither in that nor in any other thing further forth then I am prescribed This answer seemeth very well to satisfie those that would further this matter for that I vvas fore-judged to be a very passionate Enemy Touching the pictures your Lordship desired they can by no means be gotten for no man may make any counterfeit of the King or his Brother vvithout license if he do the punishment is great Thus having imparted to your Honour that which at this present I thought worthy the advertisement I most humbly take my leave From Paris the 28 of Ianuary 1571. Your Lordships to Command Fr. Walsingham To the Right Honorable Sir Walter Mildmay of her Majesties Privy Councel SIr I most humbly thank you for your favour promised me by your Letters of the 16 of this Moneth touching my allowance for transportation Surely Sir I find my charges daily increase through the extream prises of things here The expences of my horses at this instant grow to 4 l. the day and yet is my daily diet through the meaness thereof not such as the place I supply requireth True it is the entry causeth the dearth to be so great and some hope there is that hereafter things will be more reasonable but in the mean time I find the burthen over heavie and when things shall be best cheap yet shall I find it heavie enough But herewith I leave further to trouble you at this instant The 25 of this instant moneth I was presented unto the King at Madrill where he now presently lieth being received by him with great courtesie and favour as also by his Mother and Brethren I leave Sir to you to gess the cause of this kindness and yet I should do Monsieur de la Motte Ambassador with her Majestie great wrong if I should not acknowledge some part of this good entertainment to proceed from the good report he hath made of me as one that will do what lieth in me to entertain the Peace Touching the state of things here I refer you to this inclosed Note of Occurrents and though they seem to give some doubt of the Kings sincerity yet surely Sir they that know him throughly are of opinion that if the matters grow to new troubles he will incline to those of the Religion This Oration Sir whereof I send you a Copie pronounced and delivered to him and to the Ambassador of the Princes of Germany hath put him in some good courage whereas before by the faction of the Guises he was put in great fear of the Catholicks aswel Forraign as at home Thus Sir you see for that he is not settled in Religion how he is carried away with wordly respects a common misery to those of his Calling God make those of his calling more truly Religious then we are To whose tuition I most humbly take my leave and commit you to God At Paris the 27 of Ianuary 1571. Your Honours to Command Francis Walsingham Sir I beseech you when you have read and perused this Oration that then it would please you to send the same to Sir N. Thorckmorton To the Right Honourable Sir William Cecill her Majesties principal Secretary SIr it may please you to be advertised that the last of Ianuary I received a Letter from my Lord of Buckhurst by one Hollinshed wherein he gave me his notice of proceedings onward on his journey hithervvard Whereupon I sent forth M. Beal to the Court being still at Madrill to advertise the King and Queen Mother from me First that the said Lord of Buckhurst who was deputed from the Queen my Mistress to Congratulate his Marriage had sent over thirty of his Train and that he himself about the first of this moneth was minded to be at Dover there to imbark himself and the residue of his Company Secondarily for that I heard the Queens Majestie was sick whereby it was doubtful when she should be in state able without her trouble or some peril to give the said Lord Buckhurst access unto her to execute his charge from the Queens Majestie my Mistress that therefore I desired to know of his Majestie and the Queen his Mother whether there were any hope of her Majesties speedy recovery whereby the said Nobleman may proceed in his journey to accomplish his said charge or otherwise whether I might not with his advice and favour write unto the said Nobleman some Letters of stay or return if he were passed the sea or onward his voyage until such time as he should be hereafter further advertised of her Majesties speedy recovery In answer whereof I received this inclosed from Secretary Pynart and for that Mr. Beal whom he made privy to his Letter did not see his answer directly touching that point which concerned his access to the Queen he desired to know what was the Kings mind in that behalf To whom he answered for that it was doubtfull by reason of the Queens sickness whether the Lord of Buckhurst should have any access unto her the only stay of her Entry and Coronation therefore the King referreth it to my Lords own judgement whether he will come now or stay until the other Entry I have made my Lord privy of my proceedings herein as also what answer I received from the King referring him to do therein as his Instructions should best direct him I have made him also acquainted with my private opiâ—ion in this behalf which is if her Majesties direction may bear it rather to proceed then otherwise First in respect his coming now will be here accepted in as good part as at any time hereafter Secondarily in respect of her Majesties charges and his own Thirdly in respect that the Governour of Picardie Monsieur de Paâ—ne and other Gentlemen who are appointed to repair to to Bullen to receive him should lose their labour if he should not proceed forward And as touching the Queens sickness whereby his access unto her to congratulate the Marriage growth doubtful judged here the chief cause of her repair hither I do not think the contrary but that her Majesties honourable and good meaning will be accepted in as good part
peny to be so good silver as they think them evill used if it may not passe as current To the end that there may grow lesse harm thereof as some there must needs your Lordship shall do well to hasten it to some 〈◊〉 with what speed you may which I pray God may be as good as ever happened in like case And so leaving further to trouble your Lordship at this present I most humbly take my leave committing you to his protection From Paris 8 February Your Lordships to command Fr. Walsingham To the Right Honourable Sir Walter Mildmay one of her Majesties privy Counsell SIr I understand by my servant Mills who followeth my suite how it hath pleased you of late both to recomend the same unto Mr. Secretarie as also to the B. of London so that the hinderance I was like to receive by Mr. Haddo's death is now Sir by your good means remedied whereby I hope my cause will grow both to a speedy and a good end Sithence I last wrote to you there hath faln out here no alteration saving that the entrie which should have bin performed with preat solemnitie is now like to go forward the 6 of this next moneth being so published with the sound of the Trumpet without any great pompe of Ceremonies by reason of the new Queens sickness who is now in way of recovery Of late by her Majesties commandment I dealt with the King about de la Roches attempt in Ireland who denieth that ever he was acquainted with the matter and therefore promiseth to see him or any other that hath dealt in that behalf punished whensoever I shall enforme him of their names if the redresse hereof fall out to be better then heretofore was wont to be yielded by his predecessors of like promises in like cases it will be but all in words for such is the expedition of this Court in promise speedy in performing slow At this time surely there are great practises in hand for the invasion of Ireland wherein the Pope and Spain joyn And as for the Cardinall de Lorrain as he may may underhand he faileth not to further the same to his uttermost I have herein advertised her Majesty what I can learn in that behalf hoping that there will be good eye had thereto in time least Ireland through too much securetie be neglected as Callis was And so leaving further to trouble your Honour at this present with my humble commendations to my Lady I commit you to Gods protection From Paris the 8 of Febr. 1571. To the right Honourable Mr. Francis Walsingham Ambassadâ—r Resident for the Q. Majestie of England SIr my Lord of Rutland hath such confidence in your friendship as I think it superfluous otherwise therein then to thank you for the good offers you made him at your departure whereof he hath made to me on your behalf very good report In my opinion you shall do his Lordship a great pleasure to take occasion to present him to the King as soon as you may that he may be known before my Lord of Burkhâ—rst comming In expressing of his linage you may boldly affirme him to be a kin to the Q. Majestie both by King Henry the eight her Father and also by the Q. Mother and he is of the blood Royall in the same degree that my Lord of Huntingdon is the difference being onely that my Lord of Huntingdon is of a Brother of King Edward the 4. and my Lord Rutland of the Sâ—ster of the same King and indeed thereby he is as near in blood though further in danger of fortunes wheel which is busie with carriage of Kings Crowns to and fro I am not able to write any more by weakness of my bodie presently tormented with pain from my house at Westminster the 28 Ianuary 1571. Yours assuredly William Cecil To the right Honourable Sir William Cecil her Majesties principal Secretary SIr any that you shall at any time recommend cannot but receive at my hands any favour or friendship that I can shew them But my Lord of Rutland who besides your commendations and his own calling hath so many good parts in himself that do recommend him as he may well assure himself of any honour or aid that I can procure him Sithence my last which were dated the 8 of this moneth I have learned nothing to any great purpose The complaints of those of the Religion have here but a very deaf eare given unto them The King committeth them over to the Q. his Mother and to Monsieur his Brother being himself altogether given to pleasure To our trusty and welbeloved Francis Walsingham Esq our Ambassador Resident with the French King ELIZABETH R. TRusty and welbeloved we greet you well we have received Letters jointly from Sir Henry Norris our late Ambassador and you dated the 29 of the last moneth by the which we perceive in what sort you were presented to the King there by Sir Henry Norris as to remain our Ambassador And in what sort you did orderly proceed in declaration of our good will to continue the good Amitie with the King and to appoint you as minister for the same wherein we do not mislike of such speech as by our Letter appeared to us you used to the King to comfort him in the maintenance and continuance of the inward peace of his Realm according to the benefit of his Edict lately granted to his Subjects for the matter of Religionâ— We have also seen and considerâ—d another matter of some weight whereof you willed our Secretary by your private Letters to him to advertise us concerning some motion made unto you by le Sieurs de upon certain conferences had by the King with him and therein we find that which you answered to the said Sir J. A. to be discreet and agreable to our mind and and if you shall find any likelihood that such a matter may be further dealt in and that it be meant bona fide to proceed further we would have you not only as of your self but as occasion shall be given to further it in our name for we do hold it so good and beneficiall as we rather doubt that some impediment may grow to hinder the successe thereof then of any speedie furtherance And therefore you shall do well to look well into the matter what likelihood there may be to have it go forward before you discover our intention to the King otherwise then as you find necessary to provoke him thereto By some other your Letters we perceive that the King there is well content that the Lord of Buckhurst shall come forward notwithstanding the sickness of the Q. and so we would have him proceed notwithstanding the same After we had caused thus much to be written hereof we thought good to will you to take some occasion of speech with the King of Spains Ambassador there Resident and first to let him understand that now about the tenth of this moneth we have here
with my own hand or any long Letter by my enditing of the hand of another and therefore now I am enforced for that â—ittle I have to say to use another hand You shall perceive by the Queens Majesties Letters what I have been inforced with some pain to indite by reason of my restless sickness and business and therefore I mean not to repeat any part thereof unto you wishing you to supplie any defects in the manner of writing with your own natural discretion This I will add that I do hear out of Flanders that one is coming hither named Monsieur Senigam to make an end of the long talk that hath been of the mutual restitution of the Ships and Wares arrested and thereupon it may be that some further Treatie of the opening of the entercouse may follow It is also written from thence that one is come to take the place of this wrangling Ambassador who I think shall be of the low Countries named Seignieur Front one of the long Robe that was here in Commission with the Marquess Vitells Here do daily come into our Ports by drifts of winds certain Hulks of Spain and Portugal with great riches which though they are to be stayed yet surelie I trust there shall lack no diligence to cause the riches of them to be duly preserved for the owners And if you shall hear any other report as it may be I assure you it shall be against the good meaning of her Majestie and her Councel For the matters of Spain besides that which is written in the Queens Letters I do hear that Stewkley hath caused one Mr. Huggins to be imprisoned charging him to the King that he hath advertised sundrie things of that Court to my Lord of Leicester and me wherein Stewkley sheweth his traiterous meaning to his Countrey We find it so hard here by reason of this restraint to send any meet person into Spain to discover things there and I cannot tell whether you might find some there that might be trusted in respect of the common accord of our Religion to be used under some other colour of Errand thither to discover this Kings practises and if you can so do with any reasonable charge I wish you so to to and the same shall be satisfied Since the writing of the Queens Letter I find that the E. Morton was come to Barwick the fifth of this moneth with the rest of the Commissioners of that part so as I look hourly for his arrival here and that may you affirm to the satisfaction of some there that be so greedie in the Queen of Scots cause It is here determined by the Queens Majestie that there shall be a plain somewhat before Easter which is desired not to continue long and so I wish it I doubt not but by this time the Lord of Buckhurst hath either visited the King or known when he shall and I trust my Lord of Rutland hath been a Courtier before this time for whom I dare be bold to thank you upon the presumption I have that you shew him friendship which I know he will of himself deserve yet I cannot but adde thanks to his deserts for the desire I have to see good proof of him to the honour of himself and of his Countrey I have no other thing but that this afternoon God hath called to his mercie Sir Nicholas Throckmorton having been sick not past six or seven daies of a Plurisie joyned with a disease called Periplen he doth but lead the way to us whereof I for my part have had sufficient schooling by my present sickness I pray you commend me to my Lord of Buckhurst and whilest he is there an Ambassador I think you may do well to make him partaker of your charge From Westminster the February 1571. Yours assuredlie William Cecill To the Right Honorable Sir William Cecil her Majesties principal Secretary SIr it may please you to advertise her Majestie that according to her Commandment I repaired to the Spanish Ambassador and declared to him from point to point so much as is prescribed by her Majesties Letters especially not forgetting to dilate that point that concerned her Majesties good opinion conceived of him in respect of the good offices that he had done from time to time to salve the differences and unkindness that depend between her Majestie and his Master His answer was in the Spanish tongue which I understood not and other tongue then Spanish he would not vouchsafe to speak and therefore Sir I may rather tell you by gess then otherwise First he seemed to be agreived that he never heard any thing of the message he sent about three moneths sithence by Sir Henry Norris which concerned that point that the Duke of Alva lately hath communicated to her Majestie touching the Kings offers to be a Mediator between the Queen of Scots and her Majestie he said that she did never use Don Francisco for so he named himself but by fits who from time to time towards her Ambassador had alwaies used himself so sincerely as they could not but report that Don Francisco was a Gentleman of great sinceritie And if it had pleased her Majestie to have used him throughlie he would have done offices worthie of Don Francisco When I came to that point that concerned the brutes touching the King his Masters intention in attempting somewhat that might not best agree to good Amitie whereof though her Majestie had cause somewhat to doubt in regard of his intertaining of her Irish Rebels and the Countenance given to Stewkley yet being of her own nature not easily drawn to condemn upon brutes without good ground especially being lately entertained by friendly offers arguments of good meaning therefore desired him onely to be a mean to procure at the Kings hand some good assurance that these be but vain brutes and that his meaning is to continue good Amitie and to avoid all such occasions as might breed any contrarie effect To this after some time spent in exclamations and admirations he answered That nothing could seem so strange unto him as her Majestie being a Prince of that wisdom and experience that she is of should once give ear to such vain bruits as thereby to doubt that his Master considering the long Amitie that hath been between the House of Burgundy and England would now attempt any thing that might breed any breach thereof And as for sending to his Master he said the way was long and that it would be two moneths at the least before he could have any Answer He said therefore he would write to the Duke of Alva in that behalf I shewed that my Commission was to request to procure satisfaction from the King and as for the Duke of Alva her Majestie lacked no means to send unto him no more she did not to send unto the King but would have been glad as one well perswaded of him to have used his help therein as a thing as beneficial for his Master
as for her Majestie In the end he said he would write but that it would be two moneths before he could receive answer in the mean time he wished her Majestie to think of his Master as she would wish him to think of her Stewkley he protested never to have heard of If in the rest he be no sincerer then in this then is he Don Francisco not so sincere as he protesteth As for any attempts by Iulio Romero to be done in Ireland tell your Mistress saith he in few words that you her Ambassador â—ere knoweth that they be no Spaniards that have the enterprize in hand I told him that whatsoever I knew he might assure himself her Majestie could not be ignorant of And whereas said I you think that they be Frenchmen I assure my self to the contrarie for that the King hath so assured me He shewed me that he thought the King in that behalf sincere and that if there were any such matter it proceeded not from him but from others This Sir was in effect what I could ghess proceeded between us never spake I with a prouder man or with one more disdainful in countenance and in speech I suppose he is somewhat disquieted to see the honourable entertainment used towards my Lord of Buckhurst and therefore think him the rather to be excused besides he seemeth to be no better affected towards me then I am towards him which is such and no further forth then may concern her Majesties service I mean to have little else to do with him Sir touching de la Roches matter before my Lord of Buckhursts repair to the Court we upon conference agreed that he should make some entry into the matter and then afterwards cause the King to call me to inform what I had learned touching Roches proceeding in that behalf And so at the time of access according to the order agreed between us being called by the King I shewed his Majestie that notwithstanding he was otherwise informed the said de la Roch had been in Ireland and that he had left certain Souldiers there For whose safety he had brought hither two sons of one Fitzmorice to be here in place of hostages who remain now in Brest in Britain at a Kinsmans of the said de la Roch. And fuâ—ther I shewed him that the said de la Roch was lately departed out of the Town who before his going secretly gave out that he was dispatched about some enterprise I desired therefore his Majestie that according to his promise and the great Amitie he professed to her Majestie my Mistress he would procure some redress in that behalf which he with great earnestness protested to us I also desired his Majestie that it would please him to give me leave to deliver to some one about him a memorial to put him in remembrance thereof which his Majestie willingly granted and appointed one Gerâ—lomo Gondi a Gentleman of his Chamber to be the partie The like speech I used to the Queen Mother who gave great assurance that there should be speedy redress thereof I look shortly out of Britain to be advertised throughly by a Messenger that I sent expresly for that purpose touching the enterprise where also I have taken such order as I shall not fail to be advertised from time to time of such preparations as there shall be made whereof there may grow any suspition of any intention to attempt any thing that may touch her Majesties Dominions Concerning the having of any intelligence in Spain I hope to procure that one of the Kings Ambassadors men upon some pension shall advertise from time to time how things pass there According as her Majestie hath commanded me I will not be unmindful touching the league hoping not to omit any occasion or opportunitie that may serve that purpose so far forth as my poor skill and experience may stretch Touching my Lord of Buckhursts entertainment here which is very honorable and such as the like hath not been used towards any other I refer you to his Lordships own Letters I find him a Gentleman very wise and discreet and very careful to do that thing that may be for her Majesties Honour wherein he spares no cost And leaving further to trouble your Honour at this present I most humbly take my leave beseeching God to send you better health then by your Letters I perceive you have From Paris the 25 of Febr. 1571. Your Honours to Command Fr. Walsingham To my very Friend Sir Francis Walsingham Ambassador Resident for the Queens Majestie in France MY Lord Ambassador I thank you for your Letters lately received from you the last being the ninth of Febr. wherein you give very good advice touching the matter of Monsieur and for my own part I am of the same mind to wish sinceritie and honourable dealing in it that either upon very good deliberation it may be embraced or in time and in best sort put from too much entrance for neither is our case meet to dally nor his person for to be abused as he will think if he miss his desire how fair soever we speak him Therefore for my own part I wish all things to be throughly considered of him that her Majestie may fully understand the condition of his person before-hand which is one of the causes that moved me to say unto you as I did before your departure for I find matter that is like to come in question and I perceive her Majestie more bent to marry then heretofore she hath been God make her fortunate therein to his glory and our comforts Touching the matter of Ireland Master Secretary made me privy to your Letters and you do well to follow the matter earnestly and to enquire further thereof by all means you can devise for her Majestie is also advertised that the King of Spain hath like intention and almost ready to put his practise in execution whereupon her Majestie doth mean forthwith to take some order for that Realm We have lost on Monday our good Friend Sir Nicholas Throckmorton who dyed in my house being there taken suddenly in great extremity on Tuesday before his lungs were perished but a sudden cold he had taken was the cause of his speedy death God hath his soul and we his friends great loss of his body The Queens Majestie God be thanked hath her health well and hath summonded a Parliament which shall begin the 13 of April next Thus with my hearty commendations I bid you heartily farewel this 14 of Febr. 1571. Your assured Friend R. Leicester To the Right Honourable my very good Lord the Earl of Leicester YOur Lordships of the 14 I received the 16 of this present and was most sorry as I had just cause by the same to understand of the loss of so dear a friend as Sir Nicholas was unto me whose lack if it were but private only to his Friends the loss were great but if it be weighed generally in respect of her
that the King his Master was glad to entertain any Gentleman of countenance that offered him service as also to honour them with the honour of Knighthood I then made him acquainted with the couse of Stenklies life as also how little he had to take to and therefore willed him to consider how unworthy he was of any honour or entertainment in respect of himself But said I being as he is a Rebell unto the Queens Majestie with whom the house of Burgundy hath had so long Amitie and to be used with that honour and entertainment at his Masters hand gave her occasion to think that kind of Amitie not to answer best to such good will as outwardly is professed and so c. At Paris the 19 of March 1571. Your Honours to command Francis Walsingham To our trusty and welbeloved Sir Francis Walsingham Ambassador Resident with the French King ELIZABETH R. TRusty and welbeloved we greet you well we have seen the severall Letters which you lastely wrote of the 5 of this moneth to the Lord of Burleigh our Secretary together with a Letter sent to you out of Spain of the 25 of Ianuary and do like well of your dilligence used herein and having well considered and looked further into â—he matter and comparing your advertisement with others of like sort and finding the same to be of great importance we have resolved to send out of hand a Gentleman to the King of Spain both to decipher by speech with him and by other means to understand the Kings intention herein and also to deal roundly and plainly vvith him in the matter and in the mean time vve do give order for all events for vvithstanding of any enterprize as vvell by sending of our ships to the sea-coast of Ireland as by other Forces to be sent into Ireland And for that much time may pass before vve can have ansvver from thence we pray you continue your travel and care to understand further as much as you may thereof and to advertise as matter may be further discovered worthy of knowledge Touching the matter of Credit sent to you from Rochel whereof you gave knowledge by Beal we pray you as of your self to learn further thereof and to discover their intentions and the likelihood of their intentions and what are the meanest sums of money to be demanded and what are best assurance and assoon as you can to advertise us without giving any token that you are thus directed to do For other matters we refer you to the advertisements of our pleasure signified lately by the Letters of the Lord of Burleigh And whereas an ancient and very good servant of ours Sir Thomas Cotton Knight hath occasion to complain as he informeth of the evil dealing of one Loen de la Hay a Subject of the French King who being once our Prisoner of War and licensed to depart upon his faith upon condition to redeem and send home freely a son of the said Sir Thomas Cotten then Prisoner or else within a time limitted to return again as his Prisoner hath performed neither of both besides a good sum of money which he lent to de la Hay at his departure yet unpaid We have thought good to recommend the same matter unto you and for the better instruction therein you shall receive herewith the request of the said Sir Thomas Cotten praying you to take some convenient time to open the matter to such of the Kings Councel or to himself if occasion may serve and to such other as you shall think able and well-affected to do any good therein and to seek by all good means that some reason may be had of the said de la Hay in this so plain and justificable a case so as our said Servant may have no further cause of Suit to the King for lack of justice the partie being well able to pay as is enformed If you shall have any occasion to deal with the Spanish Ambassador there you may be bold to shew him of these reports that we hear from Spain and if he shall hear of any our preparations by Sea and Land that the same is for our defence and if we shall be offended we will use them not onely for defence but to offend for our Revenge Given under our Signet at our Mannor of Greenwich the tenth of March 1570. in the thirteenth year of our Reign To the Right Honourable Francis Walsingham Ambassador for the Queens Majestie in France SIr by the Queens Majesties Letters you may understand how well she liketh your diligence and besides that which is therein contained I am commanded specially to write to you that it is to her related that certain reports are made there as she thinketh by practice from thence of such as do not in with that a meaneth and so much in any place affirme And if L. shall by any occasion deal vvith you A. vvill that you do so assure him for A. knovveth not of any 0234 colour that doth mislike hereof Herein I am commanded to to vvrite earnestly unto you and to vvill you by no means to hinder the proceeding for it is meant as to me it appeareth very earnest and some offence here taken vvith H. for an opinion of cold dealing After the signing of her Majesties Letters she commanded me as she reposed trust in me that I should not be remiss herâ—in And so I pray you consider thereof and advertise me vvhat you hear and find thereof I make haste to end because I have many things to do From Greenvvich the tenth of March 1570. Your assured loving Friend Will. Burleigh I have no more leisure but to pray you to commend me to my Lord of Rutland To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh HEr Majesties of the tenth of March I received the vvhich I perceive her Majestie hath sundrie vvaies advertisements of the Irish enterprize vvhereof as I had cause before to doubt so have I novv more cause then before and therefore am glad to understand that there is order taken for the vvithstanding of all events that may happen in that behalf It may therefore please your Lordship to signifie unto her Majestie that the 24 of this moneth the Archbishop of Cassels sent unto me two of his Servants to know whether he might come to speak with me or no. I answered them that whensoever he would come he should be verie welcome and for that he should not lose his labour in coming I shewed them that he should find me at home both that day and the day following So the next day being the 25. he repaired unto me his first speech tended to his justification for departing out of Ireland without her Majesties leave saying that being deprived from his living and another substitute in his place who he confessed to have outraged before his departure necessitie inforced him to depart to seek maintenance some other where and the rather for that in respect of the
were not as he was a man of the Church he would be revenged of him for the report he made of him In the end after report made of this talk passed touching Stewkleys proceedings he concluded that the cause of his departure out of Spain was onely that he saw great likelihood that this enterprize should go forward and therefore would be loath as one descended from the house of Desmond to be suspected by his abode there to be a favourer of the said enterprize hating nothing more then the name of a Traytor I told him that I was very glad to here this talk pass from him whereof I promised him not to fail to make her Majestie privy hoping that he meant sincerely touching the practice I shewed him that her Majestie was neither ignorant nor unprovided of the remedy notwithstanding I did assure him that her Majestie could not but take it in good part if his meaning and words agreed both his withdrawing himself from thence as also in that he did discover unto me her Minister here what he knew touching the same I prayed him therefore to use plainness with me and told him that if it fall out otherwise First he should be reputed a Traytor and so little trusted of those whose turn he should seek to serve it being held for a common rule That a Traytor to his own Countrey came never to be true to another Secondarily that if he were partaker of the enterprize the matter was provided for and so their attempt not like to take effect whereby he should grow odious to those that he should procure to enter into the same And lastly I willed him to consider what benefit would grow to Ireland his Countrey if it should be reduced to the Spanish Government who doth rule altogether by Tyranny as divers of the Countreys where they do govern witness whereof he as a Traveller could not be ignorant whereas now they enjoy as great liberty as any Nation doth and if there be any defect it proceedeth frâ—m themselves who cannot yield to imbrace such good orders as her Majestie carefully for their benefit hath sought lately to place there amongst them to reduce them from Barbarousness to Civility He then protested that her Majestie should find him sincere though he were out of hope of all favour in respect of his honour and the love that he bare to his own Countrey But saith he if it might please her Majestie so far forth to be my good and gracious Lady and Soveraign as for that my Successor is dead to restore me to my Countrey and Place I will then give to you in writing her Ambassador here both the manner of the Conspiracy as also the remedy I shewed him that I would not fail to advertise her Majestie thereof notwithstanding I thought good to desire his return at this present considering the suspicion conceived of him would breed some doubt of sincerity for that it might be thought that his coming home now was rather to give notice to the evil affected Subjects of his Countrey how things passed in Spain then otherwise He replyed that if he had meant any such matter he might have gone directly from Spain into Ireland Then he told me that he feared that your Lordship had not conceived very well of him through Huggins report I made as though I never heard of Huggins and shewed him that your Lordship was not one that would lightly condemn any man and therefore willed him not to doubt that if you might find him sincere none would be more ready to further him in getting her Majesties favour then your Lordship Unasked he shewed me that Huggins was returned again to Prison which thing I seemed not to regard I asked him vvhen Stewkley vvas to imbark He thought not much before the end of April I asked him vvhether it vvas true that Iulian Romerâ— vvas appointed to that enterprize He told me that he heard so This vvas in effect the talk that passed betvveen us vvhich I thought good to set dovvn at length to the end that your Lordship might the better judge both of the matters and of the man For my ovvn opinion I cannot tell vvhat to think of him to suspect that he meaneth not good faith I have these causes First I am informed that tvvo Irish men sent from him out of Spain vvere the cause of Roches enterprize Secondarily I am also informed that he vvas sent for out of Spain by the Cardinal of Lorain Thirdly for that he vvisheth the young Boy Fitzmâ—rice's son in Spain that is novv at Brest in Brittain Lastly I do not forget his Nation and Religion I have placed some especially about him to vvhom he repaireth as also vvho repairs to him I find the Irish Captain here vvhom I desired my Lord of Buckhurst to recommend unto her Majestie serviceable in this behalf It shall go very hard but I vvill give a great ghess of the cause of his coming He desireth to knovv vvithin tvventy daies hovv her Majestie inclineth to his request The onely hope I have of him is that I imagine that he mislikes that Stewkley should have the glory of the enterprize that they both pretended and that he first set abroach and therefore vvould be glad to do any thing vvhich might impeach the same Novv having made your Lordship acquainted vvith that vvhich passed betvveen us I attend her Majesties pleasure herein how I shall direct my self And so leaving further to trouble your Honour at this present I most humbly take my leave From Paris the 19 of March 1570. Your Lordships to Command Francis Walsingham Touching the other matter of credit committed to B. relation I hope to be able to advertise in what estate things stand within these ten daies To our Right trusty and well-beloved Sir Francis Walsingham our Ambassador Resident with our good Brother the French King ELIZABETH R. TRusty and well-beloved we greet you well forasmuch as by the Lord of Buckhurst we do understand in what sort the Queen Mother hath moved unto him the matter of marriage for her son Monsieur D' Anjou with us and in what sort both the King her Son her Self and Monsieur being the party are desirous that the same might take place and that for the first entry into the matter in respect of the doubtfulness that is generally conceived of our resolute determination to marry that is by the Queen Mother required that none might deal there in the same betwixt them and us but you as our Ambassador and that with none of their Councel but with Monsieur de Foix we have thought meet plainly to inform you in what sort you shall deal not doubting but you will so use the same to all respects as may concern our estimation in due honour according to the place we hold and for the quality of our person and sex And because you shall the more orderly proceed herein we do conceive our answer by way of Articles which we
see not considering it hath been already moved to us by sundry and by some that are by nature bound to the Crown of France and that do think in their conscience the matter to be both honourable and profitable to the Crown of France And you shall say to the Queen Mother that she shall not mislike of us though we think so well of our selves and our estate that if God shall order this her motion to take effect it shall be the best marriage for the honour of the King her Son for the weal of his Crown and for the commendation of the Q. Mother that any Q. attempted this many hundred years for France And yet we are content to keep this motion secret according to the request meaning to make none other privy to the same but to such of our privy Councell as are known we have just cause to trust both for their fidelities and secresie that is our Cousin the Earle of Leicester whom you may say that whatsoever may be otherwise doubted we find ready to allow of any marriage that we shall like and withall marriages with any Prince ' stranger most of all this with the Crown of France the other is Sir William Cecill Lord of Burleigh and our principall Secretary and is well known to be a dutifull servant in any thing meet and agreeable for us and our Realm and so may you make report of them both The sixth is that we would not make delay in answer as we doe not The seventh to understand whether we can be pleased that Master Cavalcant shall be used any further herein which we remit to the consideration of the Q. Mother he being an honest Gentleman and to our knowledge alwaies disposed to do good offices betwixt us and the Crown and therefore not to be dissallowed by us if the Q. Mother shall like of him And yet we require you to have regard that his dealings therein considering that he departed lately from hence may not be conceived as directed by us You shall do well to deal warily with the Q. Mother in the matter of Religion for the D. her Son not as we would presse him to make a change of his Religion although we wish it But that if he should marry with us that he should not be warranted to do any act contrary to our Laws Given under our Signet at Greenwich the 24 of March 1571. To the Queens Majesties Ambassador in France Mr. Francis Walsingham SIr if you consider how weary I may be in the first and second writing of the Queens Majesties Letters to you not being void of other business you will allow a short Letter at this time If I be not much deceived Colly Weston North-hampton 〈…〉 in this wherefore you shall do well not to be over superstitious considering the necessity of this time and the dangers â— wise men there do find this matter for â— not unmeet for C. God onely knoweth the successe We here and the good there have a great losse of the Cardinall Chastillon who is thought to have been poisoned by some French Apostata or Counterâ—eit I pray you hasten Mr. Cobham towards Spain and as soon as you can let us know what you shall receive from thence This case of â— is deferred onely to see some event of the matter for 88. for if that succeed not as is now mentioned the perill is the greater by â— And what is done therein for sparing of writing you shall learn by Master Cobham By your Letter brought by my Lord of Buck. I understaâ—d the excesse of your charges there whereof my Lord of Buckhurst hath not as yet conferred with me But I will further your relief therein to my uttermost and as cause requireth Commend me humbly to my Lord of Rutland to whom I write but a short Letter From Greenwich the 24 of March 157â— Your assured loving friend William Burleigh After I had written this which with the Queens Majesties I meant to have sent by Master Henry Cobham her Majestie commanded for more haste to send some speciall conveyer with them and so I send Harcourt I am in doubt that if this matter for Religion be not well conceived by them there the adversaries to the marriage will take great advantage thereof and urge the persisting in it of purpose to dissolve the same So as I had rather the speech hereof might have come from the Queen Mother or the others to you and so you might answer them as you are warranted then to begin abruptly of your self I wish they would give you occasion so to do which if they doe not then must you needs open it unto them March 25 1570. To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh IT may please your Lordship to advertise her Majestie that hers of the 24 of March I received the 26 of the same the contents whereof after I had well weighed and therewithall considered the great practises that are daily used here to stop that the match between her Majestie and Monsieur might not take effect which lacketh not also any such help as may from her own subjects there with you be ministred to breed an opinion in Monsieur that all is but dalliance and that he is like to march in the end in rank with the number of the forsaken whereupon as it should seem a few dayes past he used this talk with Monsieur de Foix saying Monsieur you and others have brought me to yield to this match but I feare that by the next dispatch you shall well perceive that there is no other meaning in the Queen of England but dalliance and that you and I shall be sorry that ever we waded so far And surely said he for my own part unlesse I shall find the answer direct I will never enter farther into the matter These speeches and practises after I had well weighed and seeing the answers in her Majesties Letters very fit and convenient to be made by her in respect of the quality of her person and sex had not the world mistaken her former proceeding in marriage matters But now in respect of the said mistakings fearing that the same being made according to the course appointed by her Majestie would have seemed more doubtfull then direct and so have utterly overthrown the matter I was very much perplexed what course to take when I my self saw it most safe for me to follow the course by her Majestie prescribed whatsoever came of it But when I beheld her Majesty first how she in her own judgement did think it expedient for her to marry Secondarily that if her Majestie did mean to marry abroad this was the only Gentleman fit for her to marry Thirdly the discontentment of her subjects for not marrying Fourthly how presently she is beset with a number of forrain practices the execution whereof onely stayeth upon the event of this match I then resolved that it was most fit for me to forget my self and
and so of late in respect of this imploying of him have taken upon me to assure him that he shall receive some comfortable words from her Majestie and therefore I am to desire your Lordship to move her Majestie therein The 29 of March the Archbishop sent one of his men to me willing me to send some trustie servant of mine to whom from time to time he might communicate the Spanish Enterprize and so gave me knowledge thereof between whom passed this speech following After ordinary salutations done I shewed him that your Lordship willed me to signifie unto him that you had written to the Queens Majestie in his behalf and that you hoped shortly to receive some answer and that after receipt had thereof you would not fail to advertise him Further that you willed him to deal plainly with you as you for your part minded to deal honourably with him and that if it pleased him to advertise your Lordship of any thing either by word of mouth or by writing that you promised of your honour to to keep the same with all secresie and that you offered your self most ready to pleasure him in any thing that you could do for him I thank my Lord Ambassador quoth he in that it pleaseth his Lordship thus honourably to deal with me and if that by his good means I may be brought into my Princess's favour and enjoy my living I should think my self most bound unto him and besides make him privie of all Stewkleys practises The onely cause of my coming out of Spain was to obtain license to return into my Countrey with my Princess's favour if it might be and to â—schew the name of a Traytor although one Huggins whom for certain unseemly words he used against Mr. the Queens Majesties Ambassador I reprehended hath written divers Letters to Master Secretarie Cecil and the rest of the Councel and so incensed them against me as that they have me in great suspicion After this he asked me whether I knew if any should be sent into Spain about this matter I told him I knew not Yes quoth he your Lordship told him so I answered that it might well be so but that I knew nothing thereof Well saith he it is more then time that she did send both for that the Queens Majestie hath many Traytors in Ireland of the Irish men and English Souldiers there and also because the King of Spain doth what he can to win the French Kings Brother on his side And surely saith he if the match go not forward between her Majestie and Monsieur it is to be feared that he will joyn with the King of Spain in that enterprize I told him that the common report was here that Mounsieur did concur in all things with the King and that the King himself had made such Protestations of Amitie and Friendship towards the Queens Majestie as that he in respect of his honour would not nor any of his Subjects for fear of his displeasure durst not attempt any thing to infringe the same Well saith he I beseech God they may long continue in Amitie In the mean time I will remain here as one not known until I know her Majesties pleasure If I might go into my Countrey with her good leave and license I doubt not but what I could do much good there for that the most part of the Nobility are of some affinity with me and will I am assured be much ruled by my counsel If I cannot obtain this benefit at her Majesties hands after I have dispatched my business here I will return into Spain where I have been most honourably entertained at the Kings hands having had during the time of my abode there besides two two thousand Ducats for my annual pension sometimes one hundred Ducats sometimes two hundred Ducats and sometimes three hundred Ducats when the Court did remove And to this end saith he have I left four of my train at Nantes in Brittain with some part of my goods to the end that if I go into England I might send for them hither if not I might take them with me when I go into Spain He told me further that Fitzmorice ' s son was at Morles in Brittain that Stewkley had sent one out of Spain to learn what he did there and to discredit him if it were possible That the Duke D'alva hath offered thirty thousand Ducats for the Earl of Northumberlands ransome And so fearing that I have over troubled your Honour I most humbly take my leave From Paris the fourth of April 1571. Your Lordships to Command Fr. Walsingham To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Earl of Leicester MAdam de Mâ—vie desired me to recommend unto your Lordship the Petition of her Daughter hoping by your good means unto her Majestie there shall be no deliverie made of her without her special consent in respect of the interest she hath in her in right of a Mother the cause of her staying there being such as it is I did assure her that she could not lack any protection that you could give who did honour in her the religious respect that she had in the match of her daughter Touching the provision of Mules your Lordship sent me word of I will not fail to cause some care to be used for the procuring of them I hear the King maketh provision for some to present unto her Majestie notwithstanding because the same is not certain I think it not fit to stay to proceed otherwise And so c. At Paris the fifth of April 1571. Your Lordships to Command Fr. Walsingham To our trusly and well-beloved Sir Francis Walsingham our Ambassador Râ—sident with our good Brother the French King ELIZABETH R. TRustie and well-beloved we greet you well we have perceived by your Letters written to the Lord of Burleigh in what sort you have lately conferred with an Irish man naming himself the Archbishop of Cassels upon occasion sought by him to make his submission and suit to us for his offence in departing out of Ireland And considering the conditions of the party and the profit that might follow by his discovering of the practices wherewith he is so throughly acquainted we can be content that if you shall find it likely that he meaneth dutifully to ask pardon as he pretendeth by his speech that then you shall give him comfort to continue with the same dutifulness and loyal meaning and provoke him to make repair hither into England where you may assure him he shall not find lack of grace if he humblie desire it and by his truth hereafter deserve it And if you find him very difficult to be perswaded with such general speech without further assurance from us you shall say that you have written so effectually unto us with assirmation of your good liking of his dealing with you in so plain terms as he had done as ye have power from us to warrant him to come into this our Realm safely
Friend William Burleigh Excuse me to my Lord of Rutland for not writing To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh BEfore the receit of her Majesties bearing date the eighth day of April the Archbishops enterprize offered up to this State through the discreet usage of the Irish Captain was quite overthrown For the same day that he should have conference with Monsieur about the matter the said Captain procured the Archbishop to send him unto Monsieur to know when it would be his pleasure that he might wait upon him and so he according repaired unto Monsieur Monsieur asked him divers questions touching the situation of Ireland the manner of the Government of the same to whom it appertained and divers other such like questions At the length he asked him if the Countrey were fruitful and what commodity the Q. Majestie received by the same Whereunto he answered that the Countrey was very poor and that her Majestie was at continual and yearly charges in keeping of the same without receiving any commoditie from thence Then he asked him what the Bishop was He answered him that he was banished out of his Countrey for certain disorders there committed And that sithence his departure from thence he hath been in divers Countreys seeking at Princes hands such relief as he might get bearing them in hand that he is able to do much in his Countrey And after that Monsieur had heard this report giving him credit as one whom he knew he willed him to tell the Arthbishop that he doubted that he should not be at any leisure to confer with him being now entertained in Counsel with matters of great wait and further to say unto him that if he did lack any thing upon knowledge thereof given he would be a mean unto the King for the same Whereupon the Bishop by his Letters made Monsieur acquainted with his poverty and order was taken that he had sent him two hundred Crowns This I thought good to set down unto your Lordship at large for two respects the one to the end you might the better know the Archbishop the other for that there may be by your good means unto her Majestie some consideration had of this Irish Captain who from time to time hath been a very good instrument for the discoverie of the practises against Ireland which he hath done with the hazarding of his life if his dealing with me or with Sir Henry 〈◊〉 were known I have taken upon me to put him out of doubt that this service of his will not be unconsidered by her Majestie Surely my good Lord if when we promise in these causes consideration and no regard be had thereto neither can those of my calling promise reward nor they to whom we promise give credit to our words when no fruits follow I beseech your Lordship therefore deal earnestly with her Majestie in this behalf he without respect of this present service as I have before written deserveth entertainment in respect of his sufficiency and hability to serve her Majestie through the skill he hath gotten by experience had of these latter wars here After the receipt of her Majesties Letters of the eighth of April according to the charge given me in them I dealt with the Archbishop in respect of the secret practises he promised to reveal Such perswasions as I could I used to procure him to make his repair into Eâ—gland shewing him that her Majestie promised grace and pardon if he would humbly desire it at her hands and purposed by his dutiful loyal meaning hereafter to deserve it And to the end that he should not doubt of her Majesties sincere dealing herein I offered him my safe conduct having authority from her Majesties so to do to warrant him to go safely into the Realm thereby to obtain her Majesties favour with more safety of his person and to return in like case safely out of the Realm if he should misuse the same whereunto he once willingly accorded but afterwards by what sinister counsel I know not he changed his mind in the end he came to this issue that unless it would please her Majestie to grant him this rude request which also I send your Lordship signed with his own hands he would never return either into England or into Ireland I told him that it became not a Subject and an offendor as he was to stand in such terms with his Prince but with humble submission and acknowledging of his fault to crave pardon and to esteem this favour offered as rare and not to be refused but with thankfulness to be received If it shall please her Majestie to grant him his pardon his request is that he might have knowledge thereof within these twenty dayes for that otherwise he is minded to repair again into Spain At this present he is gone to Nantes in Brittain there to dispatch certain businesses as he saith promising to return and not to depart out of this Countrey these twenty days The 19 of this month there arrived here two Gentlemen named Conniers and one other named Beamont who said they imbarqued at Newcastle the 12 of the same and they escaped very narrowly After they had stayed here a day departed by Post into Flanders And so leaving further to trouble your Honour at this present I most humbly take my leave at Paris the 22 of April 1571. To our right trusty and well-beloved Sir Francis Walsingham our Ambassador Resident with our good Brother the French King ELIZABETH R. TRusty and well-beloved we greet you well we understand such Message and credit you lately sent and gave to Robert Beal to be declared by the Lord of Burleigh to us according as we did heretofore will you to explore the circumstance of the matter now revealed to you You shall as much as may be say to the party that hath made the demand that we are sorry that we cannot satisfie their demand at this present neither for the place where they require to be satisfied nor for the same with such speed the same being indeed impossible unto us both for place and time And so you may conclude with assurance that the revealing of their intent to you shall in no wayes by our means prejudice their purpose And so we pray you use the matter as they report our answer to the best we mean with expedition to return Mr. Cavalcant thither with so much of our resolution as we can conveniently open unto him And for the rest we mean to commit to your charge by our other more special Letter Given under our Signet at our Pallace of Westminster the thirteenth of April 1571. the thirteenth year of our Reign To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh HEr Majesties answer contained in her Letters bearing date the 13 of Aprill I delivered unto the party who awaited for the same using the best words I might to breed contentation The reply was that he hoped the suit
being so small the surety offered sufficient and the benefit that thereby might have risen unto her Majestie so great that the same would not have been denied for saith she Let her Majestie assure her self that Spain will never forget the arrest of the money which she shall find when occasion of revenge shall be offered They do here with great desire expect Mr. Cavalcants coming and as I judge by some Letters received from their Ambassador they conceive great hope to proceed certain speech passed between Tilligney and the King which I have imported to my Lord of Leicester maketh me think that the Religion will be no let c. And so c. Paris the 22 of Aprill 1571. Your Honours to command Francis Walsingham To the Right Honourable Sir Francis Walsingham her Majesties Ambassador Resident in France SIr I most heartily thank you for your so well advised Letters and considering I find them so circumsâ—ectly written and the matters contained so well digested I cannot but give you knowledge of my well liking of your service whereof to my power I will also procure the Q. Majestie to conceive the like good opinion I am sorry that the Q. Majestie findeth occasion to pretermit this late motion whereof it is likely she might reap great fruit to the quietness of her own Countries you must make the best that you can to content the parties I need not vvrite more because this bearer Mr. Beale is so sufficient to vvhom I have also shevved some of our occurrents From Westminster the 14 of Aprill 1571. Your assured loving friend Will. Cecill I forgot my nevv vvord Will. Burleigh To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh I Was glad by your Lordships of the 7 and 14 of April to understand the good liking you have of my ravv dealing in matters of such vveight as I am novv imployed in next her Majestie to your Lordships contentation do I chiefly seek as his vvhom in this calling I see hath chief regard to Gods glory and her Majesties safety I am sorry the request I preferred took no better effect I pray God it may be kept secret that thereby there may grovv no evill effect vvhereof I have some cause to doubt by the experience I have had since my coming hither The fault I knovv but no remedie I hope after The enterprise vvithin this moneth vvill break forth and I hope to good effect by that I have further understood of their matter and surely the match proceeding nothing could be more sit in my poor opinion then for us to have been dealers in the same thereby to have avoided others Thus I am bold to write as a private man in a private Letter having no opinion as an Ambassador And thus having nothing else at this present to trouble your Lordship with I most humbly take my leave From Paris the 22 of Aprill Your Honours to command Fr. Walsingham To my very friend Sir Fr. Walsingham Ambassador Resident for the Queens Majestie in France TOuching the Archb. you shall understand her Majesties pleasure by her Letters My Brother Sidney the Deputy of Ireland is arrived here as farre as we can learn by him there is great jarre between that Prelate and Prince Stewkley which hath caused his great mislike to remain in Spain it may be to good purpose if it be possible to recover him and get him hither For the other greatest matter you shall shortly receive her Majesties full resolution it appeareth her Majestie hath good liking to proceed if reason take place in the conditions God send such speed as may be to the glory of the Almighty God and her Majesties good satisfaction I suppose the dispatch will be ready to depart by Sunday or Monday at the farthest I pray you send me another Cipher more easie then the last So with my hearty commendations I bid you farewell In haste this good Friday Your assured friend R. Leicester To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Earle of Leicester SEeing her Majestie hath good liking to proceed as appeareth by your Lordships Letters dated on Friday last I am glad to conceive great hope by certain speech lately passed between the King and Tillignâ—y that Religion will not be the let which is the chiefest thing I respect in this match About an 8 dayes past the King entring into talke with him concerning this match Tilligney shewed him that it seemed strange to the world that Monsieur considering that this matter was in treaty grew every day more suspicious then the other To that the King replied That his Brother if there fell out no other let but Religion would be ruled by him And because saith he I may the better bring the matter to passe I will have my Brother with me out of this Town and divide him from certain superstitious Fryers that seek to nourish this new holiness in him And I doubt not saith he within these few dayes so to work my Brother as he will yield to any thing that I will require Two dayes after the King called again Tilligney unto him and asked him whether he lately had any talk with his Brother He shewed him that the same day at dinner Monsieur called him unto him whose whole course of talk was onely in commendation of the Q. Majestie and of the great desire he had to have so happy and so honorable a match whereby saith Tilligney I see him so farre in as I hope he will not make any difficulty at Religion which will be the chiefest matter the Queen will stick in No saith the King observe my Brother well you shall see him every day lesse superstitious then other This I thought good at large to set down aswell in respect of the match as also that your Lordship may see the great hope that may be gathered by this speech of the Kings revolt from Papistry Surely I am of opinion that if this match go forward it will set the triple Crown quite aside According to your Lordships request I have sent you this inclosed Cipher and â—o leaving further to trouble your Lordship at this present referring you over for other matters unto my Lord of Burleighs Letters c. From Paris the 22 of Aprill 1571. Your Lordships to Command Fr. â—alsingham To our trusty and welbeloved Sir Francis Walsingham Ambassador Resident in France ELIZABETH R. RIght trusty and welbeloved we greet your well The bearer hereof Sr. Cavalcant hath bin here and imparted to us certain matters as it seemeth committed to his charge whereunto the Ambassador here being also by him made privy they both have received our answer to such Articles as â—â—th been by them propounded And of the same and of our further pleasure how you shall proceed you shall by our other Letters and instructions more amply understand Given under our Signet at our Palace of Westminster the 17 day of Aprill 1571. the 13 year of our Reign To our
him into the fire that he may know what it is to serve against God I would your Lordship knew the Gentleman for courage abroad and counsell at home they give him here the reputation to be another Ol he is in speech eloquent pithy but which is chiefest he is in Religion as Religious in life as he is sincere in profession I hope God hath raised him up in these days to serve for an instrument for the advancement of his glory I beseech your Lordship to credit this bearer touching my particular state To whom leaving to trouble your Honour at this present I refer you I beseech your Lordship to procure out of hand that I may know what her Majestie meaneth to do in this matter At Paris the twelfth of August 1571. Your Honours to command Fr. Walsingham To the Right honourable and my very loving Friend Francis Walsingham Esq her Majestes Ambassador Resident in France SIr this bearer my Lord of Rutlands servant can more commodiously report unto you the arrival of Monsieur de Foix then I can now write and so I refer the report thereof to him Yesterday your long Letters sent by my Cousin Dannet came to my hand even within a quarter of an hour before de Foix came to her Majesties presence I fear the offers of so great Amitie will diminish or divert the former intention of the marriage without which the French Amity shall serve to small purpose but to make us ministers of their appetites and those fulfilled to cast us off Surely I could have wished that the extremity of the marriage had been seen before these baits of Amity had been thrown before us I see those most liked by such as I could not find to like of the marriage But all this is contrary to your self At Hatfield the sixteenth of August 1571. Your assured Friend William Burleigh To my very Friend Francis Walsingham Esq Ambassador for the Queen Majestie in France I Have received your Letters written with Cypher by Dannet The matter is of great importance I am most glad to see them at this point I think her Majestie shall be advised not to lose all these good advantages offered her specially when they tend both to the setting up of Gods true Religion and establishing of her own surety with augmentation of her Crown For my part I never found cause since her Reign that moveth me more to further it and be you assured I will do all that is possible that somewhat may come thereof You shall understand as soon as is possible her resolution but I think it will be five or six days near hand first by reason of the other matters which de Foix who had his access yesterday the fifteenth of this moneth and was as graciously used at her Majesties hands as ever I saw any Ambassador he had loving talk and hath already entred into this matter and this day my Lord Keeper my Lord Chamberlain my Lord of Burleigh and my self are appointed to confer with him He standeth stiff to have Religion for Monsieur her Majestie standeth as stiff in denial and so I think meaneth to do For this time I can say no more Your assured Friend Ro Leicester To our Right Trusty and Well-beloved Francis Walsingham Esq our Ambassador Resident in France ELIZABETH R. TRusty and Well-beloved we greet you well and though we think you had some great desire to hear how Monsieur de Foix hath here proceeded with us in his charge and the rather because we understand that within a few days after the first Speech with us and Conference with our Councel he dispatched Letters or Message thither yet surely until this present we could not ascertain you of any thing certainly concluded with him by reason that he being not satisfied with our answers doth still persist in seeking to induce us to reform our answer more towards his satisfaction But now you shall understand that he and the Ambassador Resident having had sundry Conferences with us and apart with our Councel at all times the weight of the matter hath chiefly depended upon the cause of Religion For they requiring a toleration and we denying they offering to have it tempered and moderated as our Councel shall devise to avoid offence of our Conscience and of the Dukes the same was found always either impossible or so hard as by no device such a mean in plain terms by words or writing could be found to satisfie them or our selves So as in the end they desired as we would be content to agree secretly that he should not be impeached in the secret use of his Religion if we would not consent to a toleration and so you shal see by writing which you shal receive herewith what hath been said by our Councel thereto and with the same writing also two answers to two other matters by them onely propounded because to the same there was no answer satisfactory given in our former writings to their first demands In this writing now delivered to them we perceived them most troubled with a phrase added of great necessity for our purpose and specially for satisfying of our conscience that the Duke shall not be molested for using of any Rites not repugnant unto the word of God which words being in a writing delivered unto them first the one and twentieth of this moneth was afterwards now in the last of August by their importunity as now you see altered from the words Verbo Dei to Ecclesiae Dei which in our judgment is all one and yet finding themselves therewith better content then with the other we yielded to have it so altered Besides this writing because we know not how our answer in the Article of Religion shall be there imparted we have also by express speech declared to Monsieur de Foix that as we shall be well content that our answer may satisfie Monsieur de Anjou for his honour for that we have in some sort yielded to him to use other Ceremonies then ours so that as they be not repugnant to the Church of God and with such other cautions as in our writing are further contained so our meaning is to be declared plainly to Monsieur de Anjou that we cannot permit him at his coming to have the use of any private Mass which speech we have plainly uttered unto him because there should no misconceiving be gathered of our answer whereby the Duke might hope of a sufferance for that we cannot find it without peril of our Estate and quietness to yield thereunto And thus having imparted unto you how we have answered him we will that you also after the consideration of the same and of the answer given unto him in writing which we herewith send shall resort to the King and affirm the same to be our mind And if you shall find them doubtful how to interpret our answer that is whether we having our mind satisfied in the cause of Religion can be content to proceed in
but it little helpeth the D. case I pray you give little Leicester thanks for his often writing to me and commend me to my Lord of Rutland and his wife Thus having nothing else to write but of her Majesties good health I bid thee farewell this 20 of September Your assured friend Ro. Leicester To the Right Honourable Francis Walsingham Esq her Majesties Ambassador Resident in France SIr since Monsieur de Foix departure these things have happened The D. of Norfolk is charged with the countenance of dangerous practises with the Queen of Scots as that he hath sent money into Scotland to maintain her party in the Castle for proof whereof Letters are intercepted in Cipher by one Higgford his Secretary who is now in the Tower and confesseth that the Duke commanded him to write to one Law Banister the Dukes man that he should see secretly conveyed 600 l. to the Lord Harrise to be by him conveyed to Liddington Graunge The Duke at the first denied all manner of knowledge thereof but now at his committing to the Tower he yieldeth and asketh pardon thereofâ— but yet the money is said to have been by the Fr. Ambassador delivered to Barâ—or the Dukes man to be conveyed to Viracque how this is true time must teach sure we are that they in the Castle have been payed divers times with English Angells and Royalls There are also found about the Duke certain writings by which appeareth that the Duke was acquainted with the voiage that Ridolph made to Rome and to Spain hereupon the Queens Majestie is grievously offended both toward the Queen of Scots and the D. and hath strengthned her from intelligence At this time the matters of Scotland are also intricate the Queens party much diminished by the deserting of the 〈◊〉 of Argile Egliton and Cassillâ— and yet by a stratagem on Monday last as night the case had like to have been much altered The Earle of Huntley and Lord Hamilton with Bucklough and Fernichurst accompained with 40 horsemen entred by stealth into the Town of Sterling after midnight they took the Regent in his bed and the Earles Argile Moretâ—n Cassills c. and whilest these being prisoners were at the Town gate to be carried away with their takers the rest of the company spoiling the Town they of the Castle of Sterling issued out and so resued the prisoners saving that in the conflict the Regent and 16 more of his Gentlemen were slain as it is written Thus it is written unto me but I dare not affirm it untill I heare it again As for the motion made by de Foix that some person might be sent thither to affirme his message and to maintain that with the Queen Majesties honour wherein by de Foix I was named the Queens Maâ—estie doth forbeare untill she may heare from you for according to the answer that shall be made her Majestie will send a person either mean or great By reason that I was named I have had lesse occasion to motion it but surely it had done well to have fed the French humour and many things may better be said by an expresse messenger then by the report of an Ambassador Lieger whose commission groweth by writing Truly the more matters are discovered the more necessary it is seen that her Majestie should marry The Queens Majestie returneth towards London from hence to Hundon and so to my house in Chesthunt and so to S. Iame's and hence to Richmond And so having commodity by this honest Gentleman Mr. Clarke I end From Lees the 28 of September 1571. Your assured loving friend W. Burleigh To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh YOur Lordships of the 17 20 of September sent by Har I received the 28 of the same which came in very good time for that there is most earnest soliciting here by the Ambassadors Lord Fleming and Duglas for present aid to be sent into Scotland therefore after I had well perused the contents thereof I took occasion by presenting the Earle of Rutland at his leave taking to make Q. Mother acquainted with so much of the same as I thought â—it for her to know I shewed her that if it might so like her I would declare unto her at large the present state of England as also my private opinion in some points not by Commission as an Ambassador but as a private Gentleman that desireth nothing more then good Amity between both the two Crowns and therefore wish all jealousie to be removed for that there could be no perfection of friendship where jealousie was a party First touching the state of England I made her privy what had passed between their Ambassador Monsieur de la Mot and the Duke of Norfolk touching the money as also the pacquet conveyed by Virague I made her also acquainted with the contents of the discourse 〈◊〉 by the 〈◊〉 of Scotsâ— to the Duke I shewed her further that Monsieur 〈…〉 sending for Audience to have moved her majestie for relief of the Queen of Scots did not best like her In the end I concluded with that point that concerned the Duke of Alva's advice given to the said Queen aswell for her own marriage as her sons as also not to depend any longer upon France Then touching my private opinion I shewed her I was sorry first that their Ambassador should have intelligence with the Duke who was discovered to be a dangerous subject Secondarily That he should be so earnest in seeking the liberty of the Queen of Scots unto the Queen my Mistress a most dangerous enemy these things I feare said I may breed in the Queen my Mistress some opinion that the friendship professed is not altogether sincere and therefore I wished that the King and she in seeking the Queen of Scots liberty would not forget to have regard to the Queen of Englands safety especially now seeing the Queen of Scots seeketh to quit her self of his protection To this she answered That as on the one side she was glad to understand that these practises were discovered so was she sorry that there should fall out any thing that might breed any suspicion in her Majestie of any evill meaning on their behalf who wished asmuch good to her Majestie as to their own selves And as for de la Mots doing I know saith she aswell for his duty towards the King my Son who would not have him deale in any thing that might any way prejudice the Queen your Misterss as also for the particular good will he beareth unto her was altogether void of any evill meaning and so I hope she will interpret it The money saith she as I am informed by the Scots Ambassador was sent by him to de la Mot to be conveyed to the Queen of Scots who as he shewed quite was void of mony I then replied That the money was sent over to another end as the Duke himself had confessed and that therefore the Ambassador
we do long so much for answer out of England it being 22 daies since Mr. Beal departed from hence and we thought but upon 15. the thing being here so desired of them so necessary as we think for us that the fault we find there we will not have found in us but rather send all that we have here and be sick for grief that we hear nothing from you then you would excuse us there by our like doings here Your Lordship may be well assured there is nothing more expected and looked for then the Queens Majesties resolution in these two points whereof for the one the League is accounted aâ— sure both of us and them the other for the marriage although in suspence yet in great hope so much as they get in uncertainly in such a matter on their side for our parts as we have said we can say nothing whereof we are more sorry and do lament in our hearts to see such uncertain so negligent and irresolute provision for the safety of the Queens Majesties person and of her Reigne over us God of his almighty and miraculous power preserve her long to Reigne over us What shall we say more that is done heretofore even to this day is written fully what shall be written fully what shall be written for you and what God hath disposed to be done we cannot know till we hear from you His grace and mercy turn all to the best and preserve her Majestie and your Lordship with long life and felicity From Blois this Palm Sunday 1571. Th. Smith To my Lord Burleigh YOur Lordships Letters of the 20 of March made us both Mr. Walsingham and me in the reading for we read them both together in a marvelous agony but having the medicine ready that her Majestie was within an hour recovered it did in part heal us again but as your Lordship writeth the care doth not yet cease in you you may be assured it doth as little cease in us calling to our remembrance and laying before our eyes the trouble the uncertainty the disorder the peril and danger which had been like to follow if at that time God had taken from us that stay of the Commonwealth and hope of our repose that Lanthorn of our light next God whom to follow nor certainly where to light another Candle but if the Queens Majestie do still continue in extremities to promise in recoveries to forget what shall we say but as Italians do Passato il pericolo gabbato il fanto And you shall perceive by our proceedings what justly may be required is easie to be done and done if her Majesty deceive her self and with irresolution make all Princes understand that there is no certainty in her Majestie nor her Councel but dallianâ—e and farding off of time her Majestie shall first discredit her Ministers which is not much but next and by them discredit her self to be counted as uncertain irresolute unconstant and for no Prince to trust unto but as to a Courtier who hath words at will and true deeds none Your Lordship must pardon me for I have here kept so long that I am now in an Ague both in body and spirit nor seeing no cause why Mr. Beal cometh not nor any reason shewed neither in her Majesties Letters nor yours why he doth not come as the humours in my body maketh an Ague in my body whereof I would it should make an end so this irresolution there with you I hope will help to conclude that I shall feel no more miseries which I fear those that come after us shall feel Quia non videbimus tempus visitationis nostrae Thus I commit your Lordship to Almighty God From Blois this Good-Friday 1571. Because the French King doth deal so plainly faithfully and frankly with the Q. Majestie at this time touching the matters in Scotland I pray move her Majestie to deal as frankly with him and let de Crocque be privy to your Instructions and let them be conformable to his and if he shall think so meet you may add more to them for they would have the Commission to be joyntly to doe and with common consent all things To my Lord Burleigh MY very good Lord With much difficulty at the last we have concluded the League and â—r Walsingham and I were fain to stand even to the breaking of all together The last Instructions seemed to us so precise for the Scotch matters we taking them as concluded between the Queens Majestie and Mr. de la Mot their Ambassador Resident there that he did not so conclude nor had no such authority but that it was referred again to us In fine after five or six daies debating the 14 of this month we came to this We yielded to put out and in those words as be in the Instructions as de la Mott required and to change one or two more which varied not the sentence but made it more clear and remitting to us the last Article of reservation to the Scots we remitted also to them the 24. because we would once be at a point And where reservation is needless in a League defensive where is â—o derogation to other Leagues defensives yet we would not that the Queens Majestie should seem any more to relent to them then they to her Highness All the rest they accorded to us as we would desire and in all points as is required in her Highness Letters to us as ye may perceive by the Treaty and by our demand in Latine and that which we followed or gave us reason why not which we send unto you indeed that word present is not so necessary nor effectual for when we speak Statum Scotiae and if you put praesentem and now it is in trouble and doubt may be made whether you would maintain the troubled State or no and so present shall be Determinatio diminuens as homo furibundus seminectus moribundus moriens somniens for so is a Commonwealth in sedition And again when you say Contra publicas Soctiae Leges consuetudines Parliamenta it is understood by common sense praesentes for Laws and Statutes abrogated or antiquated be not Laws so they confessed unto us that they got nothing by putting out praesentem or praesentis but that it lay not so open unto cavillations as though they should by special words maintain the troubled State or allow the Parlament whereby the Queen was deprived and the King allowed although indeed in tacite they would not deny but it was allowed and in the plain sense of the words wherein they said they did much for the Q. Maj. that they were content to make no mention of the Q. of being so their friend and allie but gave her over to the Q. Maj. and in all things relent to her Highness desires so they may have any colour to sâ—ve the K. their Masters honour Likewise where the maintaining of Rebels done by the Scots and the expulsion to expell them was set
proves an unreasonable charge to great numbers to the Queens Majestie having her offices of Houshold at Dover and her provisions thereby lost The Earl of Pembroke Lord Windsor and the Lord Buckhurst be at Dover with great and mighty trains Besides hither are come such leavies of Ladies to attend as husbands curse the delay The Queens Majestie is in health The Scotish Queen shall be touched with an Act of Parliament but it will not draw her to any more fear to offend then words will do From S. Iames the sixth of Iune 1572. Your assured loving Friend William Burleigh To my very loving Friend Francis Walsingham Esq her Majestes Ambassador Resident in France MR. Walsingham forasmuch as my Nephew Philip Sidney is licensed to travel and doth presently repair unto those parts with my Lord Admiral I have thought good to commend him by these my Letters friendly unto you as unto one I am well assured will have a special care of him during his abode there He is young and raw and no doubt shall find those Countreys and the demeanors of the people somewhat strange unto him and therefore your good advice and counsel shall greatly behove him for his better direction which I do most heartily pray you to vouchsafe him with any friendly assistance you shall think needful for him His father and I do intend his further travel if the world be quiet and you shall think it convenient for him otherwise we pray you we may be advertised thereof to the end the same his travels may be thereupon directed accordingly As for the boy Clark since I cannot obtain him as I desire I must content me I wish I had one of my Lord Cardinals Monks to see how devoutly he should be kept here But I pray you let it appear that it is great unkindness for one Nobleman to use unto another The boy hath sought sundry ways to return unto me as well by Letters to his Friends as by supplications to my self but I mind not to have him so The cause that I did so earnestly seek him was to punish him in example of others which if it will not be I will leave it for a time and hope to give you knowledge where he is shortly trusting you will give order that he may be suddenly apprehended And thus being forced to trouble you with a triâ—tle amongst so many great causes in these days with my commendations I bid you most heartily farewel From the Court the six and twentieth of May 1572. Your very Friend Ro. Leicester To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord the Lord of Burleigh IT hath pleased my Lord of Lincoln to promise me upon his experience had of the intollerable charges here through the daily increase of death to confer with your Lordship in what sort he may best deal with her Majestie for increase of my diet considering otherwise that I shall not be able to hold out my monethly charges drawing now to two hundred pounds the moneth notwithstanding my diet is thin my family reduced to as small a proportion as may be and my horse being onely twelve These things might seem unto your Lordship altogether incredible were there not so many Noblemen and Gentlemen to witness the same by their experience lately had of the extreme dearth here I have made my Lord acquainted how much I am bound to your Lordship and of the fatherly care it pleaseth you to have of me and that therefore I have besought him in moving or not moving her Majestie to yield to such directions as by conference it shall seem good unto you to give him for that I would be loth to procure any thing to be done that may not fall out to your Lordship contentation And so leaving further to trouble your Honour at this present I most humbly take my leave From Paris the two and twentieth of Iune 1572. Your Honours to Command Francis Walsingham To my very loving friend Francis Walsingham Esq Ambassador for the Queens Majestie in France SIr I cannot let any your servants pass hence without some word I have looked for some knowledge of my L. Admirals arrival at Paris and thereupon stayed to send away this bearer until now that I hear by the French Ambassadors Letters hovv my Lord and you have been feasted and entertained which they here do give out with large speeches but how indeed the same is warranted I know not sure I am that they have been so feasted and entreated as none in my memory hath been greater The Queens Majestie before she gave her oath made a protestation that she was not in mind to break any jot of the Treaty and though the Castle of Hume and Fast Castle were not delivered yet the fault was not in her for she had propounded to the Lord Hume and to the Regent also her disposition to deliver it but the Lord Hume required that her Majestie vvould keep it still rather then deliver it so as it bred not an increase of their hateful dissention And hereupon her Majestie hath propounded to the Regent to be content that the Lord Hume may have it if he will be content to acknovvledge the King vvhich the Lord Hume offereth in vvords but the Regent saith that the Lord Hume hath promised to offer his obedience to the King to recover his houses and then he will ayd them of the Castle and this is indeed discovered to be true Besides this Fast Castle was in my Lord Humes hands but as a Tutor to an infant who is come to full age and followeth the Kings part Truly you may thus report to the King and assure him that her Majestie meaneth not to keep the one or the other although she might pretend matters against the Lord Hume for the damage that he did to England in keeping the Rebels in those Houses and invading the Realm From Westminster in haste the twentieth of Iune 1572. Yours assuredly William Burleigh The form of the Communication with the D. Montmorency de Foix and de la Mot which they had to finish matters expressed in the Treaty Iune 1571. present the Lord Keeper the Earls of Suffex and Leicester the Lord Chamberlain and Burleigh Mr. Comptroler Sir Ralph Sadler and Sir Walter Mildmay THe French by de Foix required That the Scotish Queen might have some favour upon the conclusion of this Treaty betwixt the Queens Majestie and the French King and that such favour might be shewed as might be granted with the surety and honour of the Queens Majestie That a surcease of Arms might be made in Scotland and thereupon a Parliament in Scotland and concord to be made for the State and Realm And if a Parliament could not be conveniently had that then there might be sent hither from both parties some persons to treat here a London with Deputies of the Queens Majesties and the French Kings That some order might be made concerning the establishing of a Traffique for Merchants in France wherein
think one of the other nothing doth so much rule both parties as to have their own opinions satisfied and seeing that in respect thereof nothing can make so full a satisfaction to us for our opinion nor percase in him of us in respect of the opinion he may conceive of the excess of our years above his as that either of us might by some convenient means with our own eyes satisfie our own conceits A matter we know somewhat difficult but yet such as in like cases hath been yielded to us though by other impediments not perfected And nevertheless how this may be granted or allowed by the King and the Queen Mother to be done without offence we do leave it to them in whom we perceive by our Ambassadors speech their stay consisted when the Duke himself both by his Letters to the Ambassador as otherwise hath shewed himself thereto disposed that is to come hither in person for the which we cannot but greatly esteem his love and affection that he beareth to us This you may say is as much as we can conceive of the matter and if it were not for the desire we have to deal plainly in this matter being so much provoked by the great good will we find in them there we would not in that sort propound such a matter neither do we otherwise propound it but that it may be friendly interpreted and not to conceive that thereby we mean any abuse to the disgrace of the Duke whom we have great cause to love and esteem but that surely in this sort our opinion by sight may be satisfied which otherwise we perceive cannot be by report of any others for that none of our own dare adventure to deliver their advice for our own liking of him as the case is we plainly affirm that so as the difficulty of the matter of Religion be provided for and that all other points concerning the marriage may be performed as was communed upon in the person of Monsieur de Anjou we find â—o cause of doubt but that the King and Queen Mother shall obtain their desire And after you have declared thus much and because it is likely that they will object that either this purpose of his coming over to us cannot be granted in respect of the honour of the King for that heretofore no like usage hath been in the Marriages of the children of France with any strange Prince or that they shall doubt that this is by us in such sort propounded as thereby to increase our own reputation without any intent to marry him though his person might not mislike us To such objections you may answer thus To the first you may say as of your self that you are not so acquainted with their own stories and with the marriage of the children of France yet you dare affirm that you know there can be no example shewed of the like of this that is that either elder Son of France or any younger was at any time to be matched in Marriage with such a Prince having such Kingdoms as we have by whom such an advancement might have grown as may by Marriage with us both to the Duke himself and to the King and Crown of France and therefore this special cause can have no former example answerable to rule this but this ought to be followed with all manner of means and all respects set aside And as to the second part that may be objected you shall affirm certainly in our name that we have no meaning hereby to gain any particular estimation to our self but do plainly and simply seek hereby to procure the satisfaction of our own mind in this difficulty as touching his person wherein no other of our own dare deal with us nor we can otherwise be satisfied And for the preservation of the Dukes estimation and honour we shall be as carefull as his own brother the King shall be And therefore you shall conclude that howsoever we have thus propounded our own conception in the matter we desire not that the King or the Queen Mother should do or consent to any thing that might any wise seem for them dishonourable to the Duke Finally if you shall perceive that they shall stick only upon the reputation of his honour that is to come and not be allowed for his person you may as of your self propound it as you see cause that the matter of Religion may be outwardly so left in dispence as the breaking off if any so should follow either on his part or on ours may to the world be thereto imputed And besides that his coming may be secretly and privatly without any outward pomp or shew whereof we leave the consideration to themselves Given under our Signet at Gorambury the 25 of July 1572. in the fourteenth year of our Reigne To the right honorable and my very good friend Francis Walsingham Esq her Majesties Ambassador in France SIr I am privately so occupied as I cannot write much and if I had I could not write much more then the Queens Majestie hath done in her Letters by the first you may perceive what was intended and by the second what she would to be amended Surely she findeth the Marriage to be necessary for her and yet the opinion of others misliking of the party for his person doth more hinder her purpose then her own conceit I see such extremities on both sides as I can make no choice for no Marriage all evils must be looked for and by Marriage without liking no good can be hoped therefore to God I leave it I see your Negotiation shall be full of 〈◊〉 God direct you The Queen is very irresolute to these As to country matters I can write no more and now I am out of the Office of the Secretary and yet I cannot be discharged of my ordinary cares From 〈◊〉 the 27 of July 1572. Your assured Friend W. Burleigh To the â—ight Honourable Francis Walsingham Esq her Majesties Ambassador Resident in France SIth my last writing to you there hath been no news worth the writing all mens eyes and ears are now occupied in expectation of the events of Flanders and the Low-Countrie We say here that they of 〈◊〉 be very strong and have sent over Sir Humsrey Gilbert with his Band of Englishmen and some Frenchmen who hath taken certain Towns of Sluse and assieged the Castle That Bruges did consult whether they should receive the Protestants and Sir Humsrey or no and doth incline rather to receive them then the Garrison of the Duke of Alva The Queens Majesty hath begun her Progress and from Havering instead of Enfield lay at Theobakls my Lord Treasurers House three daies now is merry at my Lord Keepers House called Gorambury beside St. Albans and to morrow goeth to Dunstable and the next day to Woborn and endeth her Progress at Windsor the 24 of September What Count Lodovâ—ck doth about â—onsieur in Henuaulâ— we have not so often news as in 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
King saith was by the mean people how unmeet it were at this time to motion such a matter unto her Merchants who be now marvellously intimerated and before these murthers did hear not most willingly thereof because of divers evill treatments that they have suffered at Roan and divers other places and therefore this matter is to be suspended untill the Merchants may understand that the King shall have corrected the late murthers at Roan that they shall not attempt the like another time upon them and that they may perceive that the King is so willing to do justice upon the Catholiques which may have the murtherers that they may assure them that under his protection they may go safe and not fear the rage of the furious people As to the sending of the Earl of Leicester or Lord Treasurer after the Queens avouchment her Majesty indeed is very sorry that there is such an alteration of occasion of doing such an office for as her Majesty before had intention to have sent either one of them or such other as should be as agreeable to the King so now there is to all the world one great cause that her Majesty may not with honor nor with law of nature send any whom she loveth to be in danger as it seemeth they may be though the King have never so good a meaning For by the death of so many whom the King doth not avow nor yet punish the murtherers what surety can strangers have especially when the King pretendeth as by his own letters appeareth that it is the fury of the Catholiques against those of the Religion As to the difficulties found by her Ambassadors return and to leave a Secretary there in respect of the danger wherein he is at this time her Majesty thinketh that the King might otherwise think thereof for when he saith he will revoke also his Ambassador from hence if hers should come for a time It is well known with what liberty and surety his Ambassador may and doth travell in this Realm who may go when he will without danger and without fear of mind do his negotiation where contrariwise her Ambassador dare not go out of his doors without a guard being to his great charge and disquieting And so the Queens request is to have her Ambassador from thence but for such a time as the tempest may cease in France and the murtherers be in awe of the King by Justice REQUESTS That the Kings Declarations maintained in his Letters for our Merchants good usage at Burdeaux and elswhere may be published in print as his otheâ— Edicts are That it may be also notified that the King will have the English Merchants restored to their goods which were left in the hands of his subjects that have been murthered for that many of them in Roan and elswhere were by way of Merchandise indebted to the English That for the hearing of English complaints for causes both in Normandy and Gascoigne there might be some extraordinary indifferent Commissioners to hear the same with expedition whereupon if the Merchants shall find favour and justice they may be the more easily induced to allow the Conditions of a Commerce To the right honorable and his very good Lord the Earl of Leicester IT may please your Lordship to understand that by certain that returned from Frankfort Mart I understand that one of the Gentlemen that departed hence with intention to accompany your Nephew Mr. Philip Sidney to Heâ—delberg died by the way at a place called Bladin in Lorain who by divers conjectures I took to be the Dean of Winchester who as I advertised your Lordship by Mr. Argall I employed to encounter the evill practices of your said Nephews servants If therefore your Lordship he now being void shall not speedily take order in that behalf if already it be not done the young Gentleman your Nephew shal be in danger of a very lewd practice which were great pitie in respect of the rare gifts that are in him Touching news I refer your Honor to these inclosed occurents and the report of this Bearer to whom I have given order to communicate certain things unto you And so leaving further to trouble your Honor at this present I most humblie take my leave At Paris the 17 of October 1572. Your Honours to command Fr. Walsingham To the right worshipful Francis Walsingham Esq her Majesties Ambassador resident in France SIR I shewed to the Queens Majesty and my Lords of the Councell both your letters to me written the 8 of this instant the one contained your negotiation the other was a discourse both wisely written and very well liked On Thursday last Monsieur du Crocque was here and had audience given him by my Lord Treasurer my Lord Chamberlain and my Lord of Leicester because the Queens Majesty was not at time perfectly whole of the small Pox as the Physicians did say although her Majesty and a great sort more will not have it so now it makes no matter what it was thanks be to God she is perfectly whole and no sign thereof left in her face On Sunday he had his answer given unto the Steward of his house the sum and substance whereof I send you here inclosed whereby you may know his negotiation which was long in words to make us believe better of that King then yet we can and replied as I understand liberally enough although in that Prince and Countrey who have so openly and injuriously done against Christ who is Truth Sincerity Faith Pitie Mercy Love and Charity nothing can be too sharply and severely answered Yet Princes you know are acquainted with nothing but Doulceur so must be handled with Doulceur especially amongst and between Princes And therefore to temperate as you may perceive not that they may think the Queens Majesty and her Councell such fools that we know not what is to be done and yet that we should not appear so rude and barbarous as to provoke where no profit is to any man I think I for my part do not doubt but you will use this answer as you were wont gravely and wisely for the King there will look to have it as well at your hands as at his Ambassadors You are carefull as wisdom doth lead you of the wel-doing here in England which needs must be well esteemed of her Majesty and all her Councell and I tell you we are not so remiss and negligent as peradventure another that knoweth not would think In time things be done unlooked for as well for mischief as that was in France as to good and remedy where God giveth grace and circumspection Truth it is that God disposeth all whatsoever a man doth purpose as Divines do say and it is his gift if wise men do provide for mischief to to come and yet whatsoever they do devise the event doth come of him onely who is the God of hope and fear beyond hope and expectation because you shall understand that even
unto her that way Her Majestie can of her self well enough judge of the peril besides I know she lacketh not good advice and if sparing be not the let I hope all will do well And so for other matters referring your Honour to the Lord Treasurers Letters and this bearer I most humbly take my leave At Paris the fifth of December 1572. Your Honours to Command Francis Walsingham To the Right Honourable and his very good Lord the Lord Treasurer YOur Honour by Master Secretaries Letters shall understand that the Isle of Rez is taken by them of Rochel that there is some hope conceived in Germany of the Elector Brandenburgh to the Kingdom of Polonia That the Ambassador of Spain here giveth out that the fifteenth of the last Moneth Zatphen in Gelderland was taken That certain of the Princes ships are lately distressed and that the two Dukes are at Boisleduc The Legats doings are kept very secret in so much that his Secretary is not made acquainted with them for the avoiding of suspicion The Ambassador of Spain hath no great conference with him but by a third person named L. Angrâ—lettâ— Auditâ—re della Rota who passeth daily to and fro between them he is one in whom the Pope layeth the chiefest weight of his legation in respect of his wisdom and experience The Duke of Savoys repair hither in person maketh men to think that the unity between this Crown and Spain is like to grow great for that he is termed here Lame du Rey du esquire and that therefore the matters of treaty between them are of great weight I know that sithence my coming to the Countrey the King hath openly used some speeches of misliking of the said Duke but this late change changeth all things upside down The doubt of the Turks great preparation for the next year is a great bridle of their intentions For the removing of this impediment the last of this moneth they dispatched hence their Ambassador to make great offers both in Spains and the Venetians behalf to draw him to an accord The Venetians as I am credibly informed have been these three years past at the charge of 800 000 the moneth and therefore would be glad to be rid of so weighty a burthen And so having nothing else to impart unto your Honour at this present I most humbly take my leave At Paris the fifth of December 1572. Your Honours to Command Francis Walsingham To the Right Honourable and his very good Lord the Lord Treasurer BEcause this bearer promised to see my letters safely delivered unto your Lordship I thought I would not let him go without them The Legate stayeth here until there come resolution touching that they have lately treated here which they have dispatched both toward Rome and Spain by two sundry Curriors The King is of late advertised that the number of those of the Religion in Lanquedoc is encreased very much and that there are joyned with them 600 horsemen and 1500 footmen that are departed out of their Countrey of Bern who by the way have distressed the most part of Count Ioyeux Company They have taken also upon the edge of Languedoc a certain place called Sanins where their Gun-powder is made this encrease of their number maketh the King irresolute what to do Before these advertisements he was determined to have besieged Sancerre but now he is advised to march toward them in Languedoc The new accidents that happen make them to change their purposes Of late there is one arrived here from the Duke of Baviers whose coming is thought to proceed through the Cardinal of Lorrains perswasions with commission to make great offers to the King from the Duke to the end encourage him both to the imbracing of the league as also to proceed to the rooting out of those of the Religion here Monsieur de la Mot hath of late earnestly recommended to their Majesties here certain requests commended unto him by my Lords of her Majesties Counsel Whereupon Pynartâ—ent â—ent unto me to assure me that there shall be such justice done to her Subjects as her Majestie shall have just cause to rest contented therewith And so having nothing else to impart unto your Honor at this present I most humbly take my leave At Paris the tenth of September 1572. Your Honours to Command Francis Walsingham To the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Smith her Majesties principal Secretary SIr It may please you to advertise her Majestie that by advertisement lately come to this Court from Rochel the King is given to undeâ—stand that Strozzâ— hath taken Marans not far from Rochel where he put to the sword two Companies of Souldiers placed there by the Rochellois Further he is given to understand that de la Noue is entred into Rochel being sent thither by the King having beforehand given oath that he would faithfully travel to reduce them to yield who by perswasion hath much wrought with them as they are content to grow to some capitulation which proceedeth chiefly through a disagreement that is between the Rochellois and such strangers as are repaired thither Also it is said that the Baron de le guard hath taken three ships laden with corn by them of Rochel These sundry newes hath put them of this Court in great jollity for that they hope shortly to reduce the Realm to inward quietness There are marched out of Burgundy a Captain footmen and certain horsemen levied by the Duke of Guise and the Duke of Aumale whether they shall be imployed at Sancerre or whether they shall march directly to Languedoc it is not as yet concluded The Duke of Guise arrived here the twelfth of this moneth who is marvellously well accompanided The Cardinal of Lorrain his Uncle is daily looked for here as also the Cardinal of Guise his Cousin By Letters of the fifth of this moneth out of Flanders they write that the D. of Alva doth distribute his Army into Garrisons and that the Roysters do remain at the Forrest of Arden and in the Land of Luxenburg where they commit great spoils and outrages being not yet payed for that the D. of Alva pretendeth not to have wherewithal to discharge them They write further that the Prince of Orange remaineth at Dortrecht where he maketh collection of money for the levying of forces for the next Spring From Cullen they write that there are certain Commissioners repaired thither sent by the Emperor as it is said to treat some accord between the Prince of Orange and the D. of Alva notwithstanding they do give out other causes of their coming By Letters from Vienna they advertise that the Emperor is repaired into Bohemia to procure the election of his Son which being done he meaneth to repair to Germany and there to keep a Diet for the election of the King of Romans Further they advertise that the great Turk of late hath sent unto him a present commending him very much for the keeping of his promise and the
Amitie betwixt us and our Realmes be left unperfect and unaccomplished on our behalf For Scotland you may say that Monsieur de Crocque ' s going away so soon wherefore we were very sorry because he tarried not until the peace was concluded we suffered our servant Henry Killegrew to sollicite the conclusion of peace And although there appeared great likelihood from time to time to follow of an universal peace and very reasonable conditions offered yet they of the Castle as appeareth not minding to have any peace would not agree to them wherefore as it appeareth they are like again to have civil Wars a thing most displeasant to us being their next Neighbours and for our part we think they have misused both him our good brother and us the King to imploy Monsieur de Crocque and us the Marshal of Berwiâ—k first and now Henry Killegrew whereas it appeareth they meant nothing less then agreement especially two or three of them in the Castle who have offered unto them all humanitie their lands livings and offices and whatsoever could be reasaonably desired yet will not condescend for common quiet to acknowledge their King and to deliver him that hold having as good offered them for their own suerty which in common peace should seem needless so that for ought that can appear unto us we think it not fit that we or our good brother should suffer such outrage at their hands or our two travels being Princes to be had in so little reguard besides that we have kept in our hands the Castle of Hume at our charge being to us no profit or commoditie but that we desire to bridle both the parties to come to an accord For being by the League bounden to deliver it but any of the Scotish if we should have delivered it to any of the adverse party though the peace had followed we know not how to compel them to render the same to the natural Lord thereof to whom we most desired to render the same although he had smally deserved that kindness at our hands if we had delivered it to him before we doubted there should have bin occasion to make him hold out more obstinately from the Agreement and Peace who as it appeareth is too much obstinate without it And as we have divers times by our Ambassador there and writing declared to them that assoon as they were come to a full Agreement and Peace within themselves we would most willingly render the same Castle and the Territory thereof to the said Lord Huâ—â— So you may say that our good brother shall well perceive that if yet they will grow to common peace within themselves the Castle of Hume shall be streight restored to the Lord Hume as it hath been often declared both to him and them before And if he and the rest will not come to Peace and Accord peradventure we shall deliver it as we may well do unto them of that Nation out of whose hands the Lord Hume shall have enough to do to get it which is nothing in our default which desires them most earnestly to have them at quiet and peace within themselves and to be ruled by justice so should our Subjects near adjoyning to them be in more rest and have better justice upon the Out-laws and Thieves who do offer daily injury to our Subjects without redress because of the civil troubles And if any mention be made unto you of the Scotish Queen either for her life or for her deliverance that you should be a mean to us for her You shall answer that her attempts be known to have been such both towards us and our Realm as you cannot gladly hear her spoken of and that you could not think your self a good Subject if once you should open your lips for her and therefore you shall require that they will no more speak to you of her nor of any such matters Given at our Mannour of Hampton Court the eleventh of January 1572. in the one and twentieth year of our Reign Thomas Smith I think it shall not be against the Queens Majestie to offer that if Hume Castle shall be delivered to the Kings party that there shall be assurance given to restore it to the Lord Hume when he shall recognize the King as heretofore he did William Burleigh To the Right Honourable Francis Walsingham Esq Ambassador Resident for her Majestie in France MR. Walsingham I have received your Letters sent by Williams I perceive it is hard to recover a Rider but to pay too dearly for him I will stay therefore till better occasion shall serve and do heartily thank you for your good remembrance and travel therein I wrote of late to you which Letter I hope be come safely to your hands the rather for that I write somewhat openly for want of a ready cypher for these causes I have since considered more of the person and the matter and surely I can no way perswade my self that the cause you should stay for is any way sincerely meant there but rather a meer practise to entertain us here and to discover of the other side what may be under the hope that by that means many may be drawn unto for no other way but this have they left to beguil the world especially us and those they seek to destroy seek narrowly and deeply into it and in the mean time consider how slightly the great post haste matter was slipt off that our ship tarried so long for what was it else but a plain work to hold us with such a sudden amazed chance the same in their opinion we should believe their case to be as dangerous as they would make it Weigh also the pretty escape of the disguised attempt of the party that seemed to be in so great peril who can believe other then that it was a made matter to continue a belief whom they think they have inchaunted at their wills Let us examine also the instruments what they be those of the most arrantest sort of Papists those here never counted setled or informed in Religion Besides the process of the doings over both sides doth shew no good end towards but even a stratagem it will prove in my opinion and therefore I am the more careful that we may so espy it and so use it as it may return upon their own necks For my own part I promise you I did suspect it the first time of his opening of the matter for truth will seek no angles Truly he was fain to seek all his brains to make any matter worthy of credit for these suspicions were found even at the first he was divers in his tales his Letters delivered assuredlie were counterfeit and so was driven in the end to confess in a manner albeit in a sort they were after confirmed there from you to his better credit for first he avowed they were all the parties own hands Next he said after the Letters were compared with others of the parties
the Letters were of his own writing that escaped a late but the superscription the others Lastly he could not tell it for certainty for that it was sent to him But the message was surely delivered by the person himself which we after perceiving the party there to avow did alter the minds of some albeit for my part it would not enter into me Since how great suspicion again is given I refer to your self The matter known to many of his Countrey men as well as to you and yet a shew to be kept secret from the King who will believe it again his often sending his own servants and never none met withal who can think it likely Also the parties chief instruments there to be imployed being so great a Papist and not to take such a matter as was lately offered him in worse part then he doth who will believe there can be plain dealing in this case O it were a happy turn to make some small trial what we were there and that we might have occasion to trounse his companion here for his pains and yet to pay them with their own rod and seem to crave thanks for discovering to the King there such a dangerous practise which we may easily and well do And I dare venture my arm to be cut of that it will fall out a plain practise and in the end the King may take his advantage against her Majestie when he list and say justly that she was willing to offer him such an injury by entertaining such practise I am bold to discover thus much of mine own conceit to you you may use it to as you see cause But truly I for my duties sake do not spare to inform her Majestie what I think of it albeit she is yet somewhat loath to discredit the party there she is born in hand his love is great Now also a little further as your friend I will be bold with you I pray you consider accordingly of it We find certainly that oft-times your advertisements be made more common even of the greatest then is thought convenient You know what opinion is here of you and to what place all men would have you unto even for her Majesties sake besides that the place you alreadie hold is a Counsellours place and more then a Counsellours for a time for oft-times Counsellours are not made partakers of such matters as you are acquainted withal and do advertise hither so much the less are others to be acquainted with your secrets And the more boldlie this for that it hath been friendlie told me and in this sort That you have written sometimes more largelie to some private friends then almost to her Majesties self if it be so then I pray you accept this friendly if not yet I will tell the parties and their names And even upon this your last advertisement which you committed to your messenger to deliver to my Lord Treasurer and me the same was also communicated to others being no Councellors and by your Letters referred to receive the understanding at the Messengers hands and I will tell you what followed and this we speak upon knowledge before we had either imparted your Letters to her Majestie or scarce read them all I assure you the Count Montgomery was advertised being this day here in the Court of the matter which if it should grow further may happilie turn to that Gentlemans destruction besides the like secret matter which you committed to be delivered to my Lord Treasurer and me upon the slaughter when you durst not write was likewise communicated unto others which came also to our knowledge for it was in open talk within ten hours after we had it yet upon our honour we had not delivered it to any Councellour living one or other wherefore you may see it is not good to trust messengers nor to impart any of your weighty causes how near or dear soever they be to you for I assure you they go from friend to friend and my self have had them brought to see and yet I must say I saw no matter of so great weight albeit I saw that such were fitter to receive almost no letters then to send them abroad This I assure you Mr. Walsingham I do upon meer good will and honest friendship towards you and so I pray you take it And I desire you to commit this letter to Vulcan And being weary I commit you to God In haste the eighth of Ianuary 1572. Your assured Friend Ro Leicâ—ster To the Right Honourable Francis Walsingham Esq Ambassador for the Queen's Majestie in France I Have received your letters of the of this moneth and my Lord Treasurer hath imparted unto me his Letter which was sent with the Cypher as also since two other of the four and twentieth of this moneth which all contain matters of importance specially this last which is to be foreseen and for my part I believe the advertisement to be very likely and true the further you may grow into the certain knowledge thereof the better service you may do I perceive the King doth earnestly prosecute the reformation of his Subjects how God will prosper him methinks he should greatly fear for his victory doth not consist in his great numbers My hope and prayer is that our mighty God will shew his wonted mercie and grace towards innocents and his poor afflicted flock Here hath been of late a Gentleman for the partie you wot of one that I know and have seen him here before though he be not forward in Religion yet is he a faithful Gentleman and of great trust with his friend The matter doth stand very tickle and methinks they deal far more unsafely then if they had dealt by you and yet is it the cause of your stay onelie I am glad to hear of the good fortune of the Rochellers God send it to be true as also that the King is of no better credit with the Almains and Switzers I wrote of late to you of some length but it hath pleased Mr. Secretary to forget the sending these ten daies I pray you send me word whether it hath been opened or no. If I thought you should tarry longer there I would send you a Cypher but I think otherwise and therefore in that full hope I will forbear I thank you verie much for your mindfulness of the Rider if he be good your bargain is verie reasonable My Lord of worcester hath great judgement in those matters but I durst trust Claudio my old friend that he would not abuse me What you promise on my behalf shall be performed towards him to the uttermost Thus having no news but of our Mistris's perfect good health I bid you farewell In some haste the nine and twentieth of January 1572. Your very Friend Ro. Leicester To the Right Honourable Francis Walsingham Esq her Majesties Ambassador Resident in France SIr the Instructions of my Lord of Worcester have in them such a clause that if he
by Merchants of France with the English Merchants for money to be given for salt c. Hereof the Ambassador desireth that you will inform the King that his report may accord with the same We do also stay the Lord Levingstone for like respect as we do Viracque And thus I â—nd not doubting but Mr-Secretary writeth of other common things Yours assuredly William Burleigh Iames Fitz-morice the Rebel with all his sequel submitted himself to Sir Iohn Parrot in Ireland so that all Munster is free from Rebellion Here hâ—th been a murther committed about Shooters-hill somewhat to the reproof of this place and herein I have used such care as the party is taken being one Brown an Irish man who had served and is put from my Lord of Oxfords seruice To the Right Honourable Francis Walsingham Esq Ambassador Resident for her Majestie in France SIr now cometh your Successor so long desired I doubt not but both for his own comfort that he may willingly enter into that charge which for the Queens Majesties service you will sufficiently instruct him how he shall best serve and therein so deal with him And if in conference you find any rawness and imperfection you do not forbear but like a Tutor teach him to inform for so I know he shall be greatly bound to you and so it is necessary Let him also understand whom he may trust and so to use them that it good will and conscience be they take no harm wherein I have straitly charged him to be religious Procure the Queen Mother to think well of him I am very fearful that he shall do well for many causes but for none more then to avoid the Queens Majesties displeasure which I am assured of for that I did chuse him to relieve you If he should not content her Majestie in this service he hath required me that you would give leave and perswade that your Secretary might continue with him a while Now I end because he is going From London the first of April 1572. Yours assuredly William Burleigh By the QUEEN To our Right Trusty and Well-beloved Francis Walsingham our Ambassador Resident with our good Brother the French King ELIZABETH R. TRusty and well-beloved we greet you well Whereas you often made suit unto us to be revoked from that charge albeit we could have been well pleased that you should have tarried there still for the great sufficiency that we know in you and the faithful and discreet handling for our service yet we have thought good at your friends requests and desires for your return to yield unto your suit And therefore we let you wot That seeing you are so desirous to return home we have made choice of our trustie and well-beloved Valentine Dale Doctor of the Law and one of our Masters of the Requests extraordinarie this bearer to be your Successor there and to that end have written our Letters to the King our good brother and to the Queen Mother Wherefore our pleasure is That you do not onely repair with him unto them with the delivery of our said Letters but also before your departure from thence participate unto him all your instructions and such other things as you shall think meet and expedient for him to know for the furtherance of our service And also as you can bring him acquainted with those by whom he may have best understanding of that Court and the affairs necessary for us to be known And that you do leave with him such vessel plate and other furniture that you have of ours taking his writing under his hand and seal of the receit of the same for your discharge These things done we are pleasedâ— that you make your repair unto us with some convenient speed as you shall think meet Given under our Signet at our Mannor of Richmond the nineteenth of March 1572. in the fifteenth year of our Reign Response faicte aux Messieurs les Ambassadeur de France 20 August 1573. PRemierement que le Message qu'a este envâ—yé d'icy a l'Amb de la Royne resident en France on a esté mal rapporté on mal entendu par le dict Ambassadeur Car il ne s'accorde pas avec ce qu'en a esté faict dans les Lettres du Roy treschrestiâ—n escripts a son Ambassadeur En ce seroyt vrayment une grande absurdité si sa Majeste premierement a son Ambassadeur eust mandé dire qu'il estoit impossible que le mariage eust en effect et puis apres incontinent eust demandé ou parlé d'une entreveue vray est que par les premiers le dit Ambassadeur avoit charge de dire que pour la difference des aages sa Majeste trouve la chose fort difficile de'accorder tel mariage Et que pour raison de cés difficultés son entendement ne se pouvoit de faire de doubtes qu'on y trouvoit si ne se pouvoit trouver quelque aide expedient pour recompense Et ce fut la somme des premieres Lettres comme il pourroit apparoistre par la copie Les secondes que suyvoyent les aide incontinent apres avoyent cecy en somme a l'Ambassadeur qu'il avoit en charge de dire que sa Majeste voyant la continuelle sollicitation du Roy et de la Royne mere du Roy en ce cas de marriage Et mesmes plus fresches Lettre bayllees par l'Ambassadeur du dit Sr Roy environ le 23 Iuin a la maison de Monsieur Tresorier trouve bon apres avoir escript sa premiere lettre de adjouster encores cecy a la seconde a finde fairâ— apparoistre l'esgard qu'elle avoit des asâ—iduelles requestes du dit Sr. Roy. Cest quelle trouve deux principax empeschements entre aultres l'une la cause de la Religion se pourroit remedier par quelque conformitâ— procedant du Duc mesme Ainsi l'autre pourroit sembler estre difficile plust osten opinion qu'en substance Et qu'anssi elle veoit pour le plus souvent que rien ne governe pluâ— aux mariges ou doibt bien considerer comment une pourroit estre agreeable a l autre que de satisfaire leurs opinions par la veüe de l'un et l'autre especialement en ce cas icy considerant que ceulx que ont veâ— le Duc n'osent affirmer s'il pourroit estre agreeable ou non a sa Majeste combien qu en plusieurs choses ils se prisent fort semblablement sa Majeste y adjouste encores pour estre aussi declaré par son Ambassadeur que d'autant quelle pensoit cecy estre chose qu'on luy accorderent pas facilement combien toutesfois qu'on l uy a faict personage d'aussi grand estat qu est le Duc D Alanâ—on quelle le remectoit a la consideration du dit Roy et Royne dont elle luy donne charge de dire qu'elle n'avoit pensé d'en faire
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
Majestie had been already mindfull thereof and I would not fail to sollicite it at mine access unto the King Du Uray returning to me after the report that he and his associates appointed to confer with me had made to conferr with his Highness told me that whereas they had perswaded him seeing your Majesties resolution was signified to forbear to prosecute it any further they found his affection so setled that he minded not so to give it over and how that they perceived by him that after he had once taken order for the matters of Cambray he will make a voyage over to your Majestie to lay down before you his own reasons himself with this affection notwithstanding that if his reasons and perswasions shall not be found meet to take place he will never hate where he once loved but will for ever imbrace the amity of your Majestie and the Realm Also your Majestie by these Letters written to my Lord Treasurer shall understand what passed this day between Queen Mother and me at the time of my audience which I thought meet to impart unto the Duke who being then in bed when I had finished with Queen Mother I desired that I might have the honour as to speak with him at his bed-side which it pleased him to assent unto who after I had let him understand the substance of that which passed between his mother and me praying his assistance to remove the impediments that I saw she did stand upon which was to have the League accompanied with the marriage for that it greatly imported the action he had in hand that the League were presently proceeded in To this he answered That the matter of a League partained to his brother the matter of marriage saith he is the only matter that concerneth me which notwithstanding the small hope I put him in yet was he resolute not to give it over And thereupon fell into very earnest request with me that I would plainly let him know whether I had not some further matter to deliver then that I had yet imparted unto him touching the marriage whereof when I assured him I had none to impart unto him he did then declare unto me as he did before that I should find the King very resolute not to imbrace the League without the marriage I did then shew him that I hoped that if he and his mother with that affection that the cause it self did merit did joyn together they might so dispose the Kings mind before hand to give better ear to the League then his Highness did put me in comfort wherein I shewed him that I should hope he would deal the more effectually if he could lay aside his affection and look into the cause as a politique Prince ought to do preferring the publique especially his honour being so farr ingaged as it was before his private desires but in the humor I found now I shewed him that I greatly suspected the Kings resolution grew through his perswasion wherewithall he was very merry and did let me understand again that it was very hard for a man upon the sudden to lay aside an affection which he had harbored in his breast so long a season Touching this subject there passed many pleasant speeches from his Highness which he delivered with a singular grace as any person that ever I knew I presume the rather to write these particularities to your Majestie for that by some speech that passed from him I perceived I should do a thing very agreeable to him to acquaint your Majestie withall Amidst these publique matters I may not forget with all humility to signifie unto your Majestie how infinitely I think my self bound unto you for the gracious usage of the she-Ethiopian your comfortable Postscript in the Earl of Leicesters Letters other your most gracious and favourable speeches given out publiquely since my departure of the good opinion it pleaseth your most excellent Majestie to hold of your poor and unprofitable servant which though the undeserved favours cannot increase my wonted care yet do they minister unto me a most singular comfort by making my service less burthenous through your Highness gracious acceptation of the same The Lord bless the rest of your Majesties years with that happiness of Government which hitherto through Gods goodness you have enjoyed and confound those which wish the contrary Your Majesties most humble Subject Fran. Walsingham To the right honorable my very good Lord the Lord Treasurer MY very good Lord It may please your Lordship to advertise her Majestie that on Wednesday last being the 20 day of August I arrived at the Castle of Fere in Tartinois a house of Montmorencies about the 11 in the morning somewhat sooner then the Duke looked for me through the negligence of the Gentleman whom he sent to visit me at Meaulx whom I prayed to advertise the said Duke that I meant to be at the place above mentioned the self-same morning I arrived there notwithstanding I found before my coming thither a Lodging very well furnished prepared for me and order given for my Diet and for the placing of my horses in the stable belonging to the said Castle immediately upon my repair thither the Duke sent his Chancellor Mr. le President Reyne and Kingsey his Secretary to excuse the Duke that there was sent no body to meet me After that divers Gentlemen as Farmangues and other of quality came by his order to visit me so that there lacked no good will in his Highness to make it appear that he was most ready to honour such as should be sent unto him from her Majestie I doe the rather dwell upon the setting forth of the manner of the entertainment lest perhaps some other might advertise that forasmuch as there was no body sent to meet me by the way the Ministers sent from thence be not received here with the like regard and care as they are there I do assure your Lordship that no man could have more care to excuse the omitting of the ceremony in that there was none sent me by the way then the Duke had Besides in this time his Highness is to be excused for omitting of ceremonies being overcharged with affairs having especially to direct an Army compounded of voluntaries about three of the clock the same afternoon I had access unto him and after I had acquainted him with the points propounded by the King to her Majesties Ambassador and Mr. Sommers before I did let him understand what answer was made by her Majestie to the same he shewed me that the King his brother was most resolute not to proceed in the amity untill it might appear what might become of the marriage and therefore he advised me to think how I might be able to satisfie him therein for that otherwise he saw no likelihood that the other two points touching the League and the secret Treaty should take any effect Wherein I replyed that I doubted not but that the King his brother being
Argument which her Majesties pleasure is we should use to induce them to think that she ought not to be burdened with any great charges touching the matter of Portugal considering the Queen mothers pretence we will not fail when we shall have to deal therewith to proceed accordingly though I am perswaded that the said Queens pretence is used but for a colour to justifie such assistance as they shall give rather then in hope of any benefit they look to receive thereby otherwise then that the King of Spains greatness shall be abated And so c. Paris this 28 of August 1581. Fr. Walsingham To Master Secretary SIR Since the departure of Iohn the Currier hence this is done Mr. Sommers is ordered to ride to Monsieur he hath secretly to carry with him so many pistolets as come to And there is just as much more to be provided which is here hard to be gotten My Lord of Leicester moved Palla Vicine to procure it by exchange at Paris which he took upon him but when I was curious how he would do it he answered me that every Crown would cost me four pence at the least and yet he could not so answer it but for a small sum and secondly for the time he could not answer me but that he must pass it forth to Antwerpe and then to Paris he also was moved to ride to Paris himself but the charge thereof must be layed to the former so as the sum would be slenderly pinched with such abatements Hereupon I stayed proceeding with him and have for the first half made means here and have gotten Paul Swallore Alderman Martins man to take charge of packing the wait is more then two spare horses can carry and now I am resolved to divide it into four portions and to commit to four the several portions to be carried upon a Pillion and so they may pass in post whereas otherwise being charged upon two horses they could not ride post with it I am now to pray you to advertise me what you can do there to have the rest paid there if the like sum shall be paid here with security by Exchange and what the charge will be or else whether you think the same were not best to be sent in specie thither to Monsieur himself which I think the best seeing therein are two inconveniences danger by sea to pass for La Motts knowledge and by Land by false brethren or Spaignoilists for I fear such secresie will not be kept of the next as I trust hitherto in this I have such crooked dealing here with Lopez for that the King urgeth the speedy delivery of the Jewel without satisfaction for your charge as I think Mr. Mills will advertise you the Queens Majestie for her part is content to stand to curtesie or to loss for the 5000. l. From Scotland we hear commonly evil that the King shall acknowledge to have by evil counsel of his subjects usurped the Crown and therefore he will resign it to his Mother and she to grant it back to be possessed joyntly We hear also that the Earl of Arraign is fully bent to make a Band of the Protestant Nobility to the contrary hereof I think my Lord of Leicester will write hereof to you for he hath dealt here in very wisely by means of Robert Ashton that was my Lady of Lenox servant at this time I have paid this bearer Philips 20. l. in name of his travel Greenwich the 27 August 1581. W. Burleigh To the Lord Treasurer MY very good Lord Finding by the inclosed that the Duke desireth that all expedition may be used in the transportation of the mony I thought it very necessary to send away this messenger with all speed whom I did imploy in this journey towards him And therefore found it expedient to send him unto you to the end he might make report both of the state of his Camp and of the present enterprise he hath in hand If your Lordship mark the Letter well you shall finde it written with very great judgement and in most thankful sort If this young Prince continue the course he hath begun there are few or none that promise greater things in our days then he The pain he taketh as this bearer can shew you is intollerable and his patience having to deal with so strange and â—nquiet humors as serve under him is admirable It offendeth the better sort here to see such Treasure spent here in preparations of Masks and other vanities and this poor Prince forced unless he were otherwise relieved to give over an enterprise so many ways profitable to this Crown Amongst other things I gave this bearer in his Instructions charge to know the Dukes pleasure whether I should make the King and his mother privy to the Loan and in what sort I should deliver it unto them In answer whereof he hath willed him to let me understand that he referreth the same to her Majesties best consideration for mine own particular opinion considering that the matter cannot be kept secret I think it meet they should be both made acquainted withal for that it might nourish or rather increase in the King a jealousie already conceived of some inward intelligence not to the best purpose between her Majesty and the Duke Besides it would serve to very good purpose to remove the opinion that both he and his mother have conceived that her Majesties friendship consisteth altogether in words who hitherto hath shewed more friendly and better effects then they thought both nature and policy ought to lead them to deal otherwise then they do This day I had long speech with Queen mother both about tha Portugal causes as also about our stay of the proceeding in the Treaty for the first I do finde by her that the King will attempt nothing by way of Occurrency with her Majesty without the marriage and as for our further proceeding in the Treaty I also learn by her that he is resolute to stay until he hear from his Ambassador hereof I will enlarge unto your Lordship more at length by the next the conclusion of her speeches were an earnest recommendation of the marriage without the which she said she saw there could be no sound friendship she also renewed her former request touching the support to be yielded to Don Anthonio letting me understand that the four ships were departed from Burdeaux with six hundred men at the least and therefore prayed me most effectually to recommend the same to her Majesty Whereas I perceive by your Letter of the one and twentieth sent by the Lady Marquesses brother that her Majesty is offended for that she is not more particularly informed of the state of both Armies I shall desire your Lordship to be an humble suitor in my behalf unto her Majesty that it will please her Highness to conceive better of my service here then I perceive she doth And as for the fault her Majestie findeth there lacketh no care
in me nor in the Ambassador resident here to seek by all the means we may to get knowledge of the particularities she desireth to be informed of But we finde here so great uncertainties as if we should advertise what we hear we should revoke one day what we hear another and therefore are loath to inform until we can attain to some certain knowledge of the true state of things and where her Majesty conceiveth that we may be informed of the Dukes ministers here I finde them not hitherto so throughly instructed or at the least not willing to impart their knowledge to us as I perceive her Majesty is perswaded they are And therefore as this bearer can shew you I have prayed the Duke to give order that by his Ministers here we may be informed from time to time of his proceedings which he hath promised shall be performed I am privately given to understand that our Treaty shall stay any further proceeding until her Majesties full resolution to the marriage be known And therefore I pray your Lordship to procure her Majesties direction in case it fall out so what course we shall hold Paris 27 August Francis Walsingham To Master Secretary SIR I am sorry heartily at this time I cannot procure you any such resolute Answer as I desire and know the causes do require I will not write to you of the incertainties here as I take patience here in solliciting so you must in the lack of that were meet for you the Letters that have been writ to you in common have been altered twice and yet scantly goe with allowance but that her Majesty hath since commanded me to add these things as well to the Letters as to the Answers of the two papers for the two Leagues For the general League her Majesty will not be bound to any number certain but will aid according to the form of an Article in the Treaty of Cambray which form she hath chosen upon this ground She commanded me to press all the Treaties I could both with the Emperor and French King and to repeat to her the diversity of ayds which I did and though the greater number contained with number certain some at the cost of the Prince invaded and some but yet few at the costs of the confederate not invaded with reference to his power and with charge of his Conscience her Majesty very earnestly took hold thereof and so she would have you proceed and though the example I sent you be out of the Treaty between the Emperor and King Henry the eight yet you shall finde in the Treaties between H. the 8. and Francis the French King Anno 1525. made by the Lâ— Bogect of France a like Article of uncertain ayd and in like manner you shall finde the like in the Treaty Anno 1546. between H. 8. and Francis the French King And so her Majesty being not by us here to be perswaded otherwise you are to accept her Answer as she will have it After also that she hath directed an uncertain Answer to the Articles of the private or secret League which I do send you as I conceived her minde and as her self did read them yet she commanded me to write unto you that she knew not why she should be at any certain charge either for Monsieur or Dâ—â— Anthonio For as for Monsieurs Actions she would therein give such support as she should please without coertion But yet she added this thereto That if by that her answer she should think that Monsieur for lack of support should leave his actions in the Low-Countreys she will yield to ayd him though presently she will not declare to what quantitie And for supporting of Don Anthonio she knoweth not why she should be bound to any certain charge considering the Queen Mother how she hath in other sort favoured Don Anthonio then percase his Ministers will report For she did cause such preparations to be made for himâ— as amounteth to thirteen thousand pound English you may turn it in speech to above forty thousand Crowns and all this charge lost by lack of good answer from the King For his conjunction with her Majestie in this ayd and that her Majestie nevertheless did offer to the said Don Anthonio the price of any five of six good ships but he would not accept them And in them he had bought and hired certain ships and barks to the number of eight which he doth now mind to send away and likewise he himself desireth pass-port for himself to depart which her Majestie doth yield unto and to tell your self truly he is solicited hereto by the French Ambassador I pray God he may find good dealing there that he be not sold there away Her Majestie would have you to have regard to the defence of her in any thing that may be there cast abroad on the said Don Anthonio's behalf So as you must answer for her Majestie therein that the lack of the intended voyage hath not grown by her means Thus full warily must I yield for in these unpleasant matâ—ers I am weary of a small working I hope her Majestie will be better disâ—posed to give you some further authority or else surely I could wish you at home Greenwich the second of September 1581. Postscript I pray you heartily excuse me to my Lord Ambassador there that I write not now privately to him nor yet to Mr. Sommers whose excuse is well allowed of W. Burleigh To Master Secretary Sir Henry Cobham and Mr. Sommers AFter my hearty commendations upon the receipt of your Letters of the 26 of August written from you there joyntly I did impaâ—t the same to her Majestie and to my Lords of the Councel that are here And for that one of the most special matters in your letter concerneth the stay of your proceeding forward in the Treaty already begun for a League offensive betwixt her Majestie and the French King which is alledged on the Kings part to have grown by report of his Ambassador here in his Letters to the King as is mentioned in your Letters her Majestie denying that she used any speech either with the Ambassador or any other tending to that purpose whereof your letters make mention she thought good to send for the Ambassador and to charge him therewith and so she did yesterday in the afternoon whereupon he shewed forth the Copy of his letter to the King which also I did see wherein her Majestie findeth no such matter as proceeding by any speech of hers to move him to write as it is reported to you she should And so he doth also deny that he hath written in any like sort to the K. but as I do gather by his letter he uttered his own opinion to have Mr. continue constant iâ— the matter of marriage thinking that thereby he might prevail because in speeches with her Majestie he found her very careful of him and of his estate and very sorry that he should adventure his
conceiveth it that it may serve your turn And as for the league we were in hand withal if the King would have assented that the same should have proceeded in general terms according to such direction as we have lately received from your Majestie I am for sundry causes led to think that it would have proved unprofitable as generally I know that there is a president to confirm the same but if in that time a King of Scots pretending a title to the Crown of England was like by matching with Spain to have wrought that peril towards your Majesties father as he is towards you he would not then have stood upon generality as your Majestie doth now For in diseased bodies there is not alwaies like use of medicines sometimes when your Majestie doth behold in what doubtful terms you stand with Forreign Princes then you do wish with great affection that opportunities offered had not been slipped But when they are offered to you if they be accompanied with charges they are altogether neglected Common experience teacheth that is as hard in a pollitique body to prevent any mischief without char ges as in a natural body diseased to cure the same without pain Remember I humbly beseech your Majestie the respect of charges hath lost Scotland and I would to God I had no cause to think that it might put your Highness in peril of the loss of England I see it and they stick not to say it that the only cause that moveth them here not to weigh your Majesties friendship is for that they see your Majestie doth fly charges otherwise then by doing somewhat underhand It is strange considering in what state your Majestie standeth that in all the directions that we have now received we have special charge not to yield to any thing that may be accompanied with charges The general Leagùe must be without any certain charges The particular League with a voluntary and no certain charge as also that that is to be attempted in favour of Don Anthonio the best is that if they were as they are not inclined to deal in any of these points then they were like to receive but small comfort for any thing that we have direction to assent unto Heretofore your Majesties predicessors in matters of peril did never look into the charges when their Treasure was neither so great as your Majesties is nor Subjects so wealthy nor so willing to contribute A person that is diseased if he look only upon the medicine without regard of the pain he sustaineth cannot in reason and nature but abhor the same if therefore no peril why then it is in vain to be at any charges but if there be peril it is hard that charges should be preferred before peril I pray God the abatement of the charges towards that Noble man that hath the custody of the bosom-serpent hath not lessened his care in keeping of her To think that in a man of his birth and quality after twelve years travel in charge of such weight to have an abatement of allowance and no recompence otherwise made should not work discontentment no man that hath reason can so judge and therefore to have so special a charge committed to a person discontented every body seeth it standeth no way with pollicy what dangerous effects this loose keeping hath bred the taking away of Morton the alienation of the King and a general revolt in Religion intended only by her charges doth shew And therefore nothing being done to help the same is a manifest argument that the peril that is like to grow thereby is so fatal as it can no way be prevented If this sparing and improvident course be held still the mischief approaching being so apparent as they are I conclude therefore having spoken in heat of duty without offence to your Majestie that no one that serveth in place of a Counceller that either weigheth his own credit or carrieth that sound affection to your Majestie as he ought to do that would not wish himself in the farthest part of Ethiopia rather then enjoy the fairest Palace in England The Lord God therefore direct your Majesties heart to take that way of councel that may be most for your honour and safety September 2. F. Walsingham To the Lord Treasurer MY very good Lord the day following my conference with Queen Mother La Mot repaired unto me sent from her to give me thanks for the speech I had used towards her the day before and prayed me that I would further some good and speedy resolution of the marriage He did acknowledge in talk that passed between us touching my Negotiation with the said Queen that that point which I touched concerning the employment of Monsieur in the Low-Countries for the avoiding of the devision that might grow between the two brethren is a matter that those that wish well unto the King and desire the continuance of the repose of that Realm had great care of which was not the least cause that moved them greatly to desire the marriage which not taking place they saw his employment in the Low-Countries very necessary letting me understand that they found it strange that they heard nothing of 〈…〉 of any intelligence that passed between the Prince of Orange and the Duke 〈◊〉 greatly to the end that the said Duke might be known of the people of the Low-Countries he might be drawn to make his residence at Antwerp 〈◊〉 some of the inward places of the Countrie I see it a general opinion among 〈◊〉 wisest sort here considering the general evil satisfaction that the people have of the present government that it will be very hard to maintain good concord between the two brethren in case the Duke should reside here within the Realm And it is most assured that the affection that the Nobility here do bear to Monsieur which hath appeared by his late Army compounded of voluntaries the same consisting principally of Noblemen and Gentl. hath greatly increased the Kings jealousie towards him and hath not been the least hinderance of that support that otherwise the said King might have been drawn to have given The Duke of Guise is of late crept into a very inward credit with the said King which ought to move her Majestie to be more carefull of the matters of Scotland for that there are daily consultations in the Dukes house especially since advertisements are come hither out of Scotland that the King doth submit himself to any such direction as his mother shall give him even so far forth as the yielding up of the Government to her if she shall think it meet Douglass attendeth some answer from her touching some things that he hath not long since sent unto her upon the return whereof they are to grow to a through resolution for the causes of that Realm I find confirmed by divers that a general hope is conceived of alteration of Religion in that Realm ere a year come about in furtherance whereof
there was in the marriage which proceeding all should be as her Majestie pleased and that if he had been otherwise understood either he did not deliver his mind so clearly as he did mean or else his meaning was mistaken of us and of his Deputies for that he did never mean but that the league offence and the Marriage should go together and not otherwise Having heard this his Majesties conclusion and repeated it unto him I the Secretary said That seeing his Majestie was so resolved her Highness had in that case commanded me to return home my service being more needful there then here for causes which I remembred unto him and that he might think himself of some â—it time to treat further of these matters praying his Majestie to appoint when I might receive his commandments to her Majestie and to take my leave He said he would gladly have us at this marriage of the Duke of Ioyeuse the eighteenth of this moneth but seeing her Majestie had commanded me to return it should be when I would using many speeches full of affection to her Majestie to be uttered at my return to her Highness Then we went to the Queen Mother and rehearsed unto her what had passed by the King Whereunto she used in substance the like speeches the King had done adding more plainly that they feared such a league being made defensive and offensive the marriage would be clean broken with divers other speeches wherewith I think not needful to trouble her Majestie until my return At this time I the Secretary prayed Queen Mother to think well of these matters being of such importance against the time that I should come to take my leave of the King and her and so for that time we departed And for that we might doubt of some alteration we did forbear to send away this Corrier until we had taken our leave which was upon Thursday the twelfth of this present at which time there passed nothing from the King and Queen Mother but ordinary complements and specially recommending the Marriage Paris the 13 of September 1581. Francis Walsingham Henry Cobham Iohn Sommers Reservatio 12 Septembris NOs Fransciscus Walsingham c. Henricus Cobham c. Johannes Sommers c. Omnibus ad quos presentes pervenerint salutem ut supra Denuo tres integros Menses adjiciendos censemus quos mensis Septembris die 12 incipere intelligimus In cujus rei Testimonium has literas nostras mannuum uostrarum subscriptione munimus Data ex urbe Parisiorum 12 Septemb. 1581. Francis Walsingham Henry Cobham Io. Sommers FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE of the most Remarkable Things A ALva Duke 40 45 46 48 137 139 268 269 Offers 30000 Ducats to ransom the Earl of Northumberland 75. Plots against the Queen 299 Ambition indures no bridle 143 Anjou Duke Hen. 25. See Hen. 3. and Marriage Anjou and Alanson Duke Francis offered for an Husband to the Queen 195 196 257 297 331 333. Unhandsom 343. Of good parts 413 Against Rochel 308. A great Servant to the Queen 360 361 Answers to the French Embassador 271 By the Lord Burleigh concerning the Match with Duke Francis 335. See 348 Antonio of Portugal 354 379 388 393 394 398 421. 434 Anvile Marshal of France 343 Aremberg Grave 370 Argile Earl 4 36 299. A Traitor 302. Alwayes false 312 Arran Earl 412 Arras â—ardinal 123 Athol Earl 302 Aumale Duke 275 295 306 Austrian House the Popes Champion 121 Austria Don John 137 221 288. B Bedford Earle 13 Bellieure Monsieur 381 Beni Massino 271 Birac 95 Biron Baron 27 258 Bisegno Abbot 358 Bothwel Earle 13 151 Boughquien Lord 302 Brandenburgh Marquiss 301 303 Bricqmault Mons 34 Bricquemont hanged 278 379 282 Brulart Secretary of France 265 Buckhurst Lord 18 20 31 42 49 68. 69 Bull of Rome against the Queen 49 Bullen Duke 258 C Calliac Mons. 21 Cambray besieged by the Prince of Parma 381 384 385 Campian the Iesuite taken betrayes his friends 373 Candale Mons. 343 Capteni Thomas 94 Carew Francis 283. 285 Cassels Arch-Bishop a Traitor 58 73 74 75 77 Cavalcant Mons. 66 69 82 Cavannes Mons. 7. Hanged 279 Cecyl Sir William Baron Burleigh 51 An enemy to Popery 72 Zealous for the French match 81 115 234 153 Wearied with an idle Parliament 94 Complains of the Queens mercy 164 For the English honour ill used in Libels 327 328 Sincere 133 336 Hated by the Spaniards 162 164 Charles the Fifth 123 Arch Duke 98 Charls the Ninth of France 5. Puls down the Cross at Paris 151 The greatest dissembler of his age 49 82 83 118 122 124 125 135 143 144 161 169 173 220 251 252 306. Bloody 279 Chartres Vidam in England 260 263 265 Chastel Herault Duke 4 296 303 315 333 Chasteauneuâ— 333 334 Chastilion Cardinal 51 Clanlicard Earl 238 Cobham Sir Henry 22 67 71 285 356 Colignie Admiral of France 6 122 135 154 233 234 His advice to his King 241 Colonna Prospero 357 Commissioners to treat concerning the French Match 348 Como Cardinal 358 Common Prayer Book of England not indured by Papists 97 Conde Prince 6 17 122 240 Forced to go to Masse 245 Conference between Sir Francis Walsingham and Mons. de Foix 90 Betwixt Queen mother and Sir Francis Walsingham 429 Duke Montmorency and the English Lords 214 Crosse Marshal of France 151 258 388 Will not obey the Kings verbal command 396 Cotton Sir Thomas 57 Croque 165 177 181 202 203 D Dale Doctor 310 311 333 Darlie Lord Husband of the scots Queen 13 Derby Earl 303 De Foix Mons. 62 65 67 69 109. In England 129 218 317 318 De l'Archant 89 De la Guord Baron 266 280 305 332 De la Haye a faithless French man 57 De la Roche 33 34 95 167 168 Denmark King 183 Drake See Fran. 379 Dun Briton Castel taken 78 E Edenburgh the London of Scotland 334 Elizabeth Queen of England favours not the rebels of other Princes careful of the French of the Religion 2 3 19 23 A Monarch 3 Accountable to none for her actions 10 Had a Negative voice as it seems in Parliaments 203 215 219 Seems to desire the Match with Henry of France 29 40 Will not allow him the exercise of his Religion 65 66 89 98 110 111 113 129 130 132. See 330 335 339 340 See 115 116 138 155 199 Will not have the second Marriage go on 374 Pretends the dislike of her subjects to avoid it 354 Against any worship but of her owne Church 99 Irresolute as to the execution of the Duke of Norfolk 165 Enterview Betwixt the Queens of England and France propounded 271 272 277 For the young King of the Scots 178 Her civility to the Navarrois Queen Admiral c. 210 211 How she takes the Massacre 247 248 259 Sick of the Smal-Pox 274 Likes not the proceedings of France against Law 297 Protects the French fugitives and why 319 344. intercedes for them 263 265. Too sparing 372 375 379 387.