Cecil Papers: June 1578 | British History Online

Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House: Volume 2, 1572-1582. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1888.

'Cecil Papers: June 1578', in Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House: Volume 2, 1572-1582, (London, 1888) pp. 179-183. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-cecil-papers/vol2/pp179-183 [accessed 25 April 2024]

June 1578



	531. “A Consideration of the cause of the Low Contreys.”
1578, June 2.	1. That peace war most necessary of all other.
	Meanes to mak a peace.
	Peace.—To send men authorised of quallitie to move both partyes therto. Ld. Cobham, Sir Fr. Walsingham.
	To deale with the States.
	To understand the poyntes of the difference betwixt them and Don Jhon.
	To considre whyther or why the States may not yeeld ether to them all or to part, and as it shall seme probable for them so to councell them.
	Ayde.—To considre, if they can not without daunger yeld, then how they are hable to endure the warr; and seing it is lykly they can not with ther own power withstand the enemye, to considre what ayde is requisit and how the same may be had.
	To remembre unto the States what aydes the Queen's Majesty hath alredy gyven them :
	First, xx M^li by Mons. Hallewyn.
	2^dly, xx M^li by the Marq. d'Haure.
	3^ly, xx M^li from Humb. to Casymyre.
	4^thly, v M^li to the Marq. d'Haure.
	5^thly, xx M^li sent to Antwerp for D. Casymyre.
	Gret charges in her Majesty.—Sondry messages into Spayn to Don Jhon, to the States.
	To mak it appeare how by these aydynges of them hir Majesty hazardeth hir own state to fall into a warr with the King of Spayn, and presently susteyneth a gret chardg to defend hir estat ageynst a navy sett out by the Pope and succored both by the KK. of Spayn, France, and Portyngall, wherby her Majesty shall be forced to be at gret charges and so more unhable to gyve them ayde.
	To propound unto the States the daungers lykly to ensew by receavyng ayde from ye French.
	1. The dout that the offrying of such ayde may be torned to ayde the enemy.
	2. That the French will not be content to be at charges with ther people and monny, but they will attempt to become Lords of the Contryes.
	If it shall appeare that the pretence of ayde Mons^r shall serve in the ende to ayde Don Jhon, then all meanes wold be used to forbeare the same.
	If otherwise they shall meane to be lords of the contryes, then ther wold be meanes used to receave ther ayde with a limitation, and that can not be but by receavyng a lyk ayde from the Queen's Majesty, wherby both the States shall have succor, and the French empeached from ther absolut government.
	Therfor it is necessary that the Queen's Majesty's Ambassadors have authorite to promiss ayde to that end.
	Meanes to be used with Don Jhon.
	Don Jhon is to be delt withall that he yeld to resonable peace or otherwise the contrees will be won to the French.
	Secondly, if he will not yeld to peace and therby preserve the contreys from the French, hir Majesty can not hirself endure that daunger; but she will gyve such ayde to the States as she may both help them and withstand the absolute usurpation by the French wherby the Contrees shall by good lyklood be preserved from his conquest of them.
	Thyrdly, the Ministers of the Emperor ar to be conferred withall to joyne with them how to enduce Don Jhon to a peace,
	Matters to be explored.
	To what end Monsieur's offers do tend, whyther to abuse the States or to ayde them, and how lykly it is that he shall not become the absolut lord.
	Whyther the French Kyng meaneth to furder his brothers purpoos.
	What is lyk to be the end of La Motte's revolt.
	How the States ar united and how severed.
	How ther power consisteth, of men, and monny.
	A conclusion.
	If peace can not be had, the contreys ar to be conquered by Don Jhon or usurped by the French.
	The Queen's Majesty must of necessitie gyve the States ayde to withstand eyther of these two.
	The Queen's ayde must be ether wholly to the States, or in some parte to temper the French ayde that they usurp not the whole.
	Therfore the Ambassadors must have authorite as they shall see cause to offer the one or the other.
	Minute, by Lord Burghley, endorsed :—“2 June 1578. The cause of the Low Cuntryes.”
	3 pp.
	532. Secretary Walsingham to Lord Burghley.
1578, June 4.	Her Majesty, having great compassion on the poor man on whose behalf this enclosed supplication was exhibited to her, hath willed me to signify that, upon reasonable fines, Burghley should accept so many of their leases as, doubting the validity of their present estates, will surrender, and thereupon make unto them new grants for 21 years. Simon Wheler, who has followed this suit for them hath done heretofore some service to be considered of, and therefore no fine is to be taken for his new lease.—The Court, 4 June 1578.
	Seal, with crest.
	½ p.
	533. Robert Bowes to Lord Burghley.
1578, June 7.	After the agreement accorded betwixt the Earls of Argyle, Atholl, and Morton, in manner before in my last certified, the Earl of Morton, coming to the Kings presence, was very fav[ourably] received by the King, and lodged in the Castle at Stirling, with special graces daily shewed and increasing towards him. He hath so well purged himself before the King in all the objections against him, that the King now holdeth all those accu[sations] of him to have proceeded only of malice, and determineth to use his advice and service [in] affairs. In this behalf the earl presented . . . . . . . . . . . in writing, persuading therewith that . . . . . . . . . . Council, but also some other noblemen . . . . . . . . . . and commissioners of the chiefest burghs might [be able to] determine thereon and on all other matters [concerning] the Kings safety and public state.
	The first, contained that consideration might . . . . . . . . . of importance, ought to be proponed in the . . . . . . . . might be thought sufficient causes to hold . . . . . . to the summons and appointment made.
	The second, that for the sure preservation of the . . . . . . of the estate, after the ordinary course of the law . . . . . . and form of policy might be devised, and af[firmed] by lawful authority of the whole estates.
	Last, that convenient order might be taken in the . . . . . . of the policy of the church, oftentimes demanded . . . . . . of the whole church of this realm.
	According to this advice the King hath appointed a convention at Stirling. At which assembly this broken estate [shall be] well repaired by the wisdom and concord of [those there] to be gathered, or otherwise all these late agr . . . . . . . . . . great personages will return to hotter displeasure.
	It is also resolved that the articles for the ins . . . . . . . of the ambassador to come from hence to he . . . . . . . first concluded at this convention. And th . . . . . . . shall be sent with all speed. If they shall . . . . . . . first articles, then this long lingered cau[se] find happy end.
	The Earl of Morton neither joineth with the . . . . . . nor will sit or be present at their cons . . . . . . . . . . . . King's presence Nevertheless he is ready to . . . . . . . . . . . . in all things, and to the same, the King chiefly . . . . .
	The Council do partly stomach this course . . . . . in this and all others, is referred and ex . . . . . at the next convention.
	The Earl of Crayford having the 6th day . . . . . appointed for his assize of the trial of . . . . . . . the late chancellor is continued until the . . . . . and enlarged upon sureties.
	The Master of Mar (to his great offence) is denied by the Earl of Mar to lodge in the King's chamber according to . . . . . . . e accords concluded; renewing thereby the late dissensions [in th]at house, which I trust shall be shortly appeased.
	Sundry of the Elliots in revenge of the old feud against the surname of Scot have slain one of the Scotts. Other slaughters have fallen of late, in this loose time, and now will ensue, if this council convening do not well agree.—Edinburgh, 7 June 1578.
	The margin of this letter is eaten away.
	1½ pp.
	534. The Merchants of the Steelyard.
1578, June 12.	Warrant authorising the Company of the Merchants of the Steelyard to transport from the Port of London unto foreign parts, between this day and the end of July next coming, 4,000 unwrought cloths.—Greenwich, 12 June, 20 Eliz.
	Sign manual at head.
	1 sheet.
	535. The Dean and Chapter of Durham to Lord Burghley.
1578, June 14.	Have received Burghley's letters concerning the putting to arbitrament a controversy that should be depending between them and Walter Jobson for the parsonage of Brantingham. State that no such suit is depending, nor hath been for five years past. The suit that is presently depending is for the patronage of the vicarage upon a Quarc impedit; which patronage Henry VIII. gave to them, with the parsonage also, by most express words. Jobson's desire is to have them grant him a lease of the said parsonage, which they cannot conveniently do, because the Bishop of Winchester, when Dean here, about 2 Eliz., granted a lease in reversion to one Jackson of Hull, which is shortly to take place, at the end of a former lease, granted by the late Prior and Convent, and came to the said Jobson's hands, by means whereof he came to the possession of the said parsonage and hath continued therewith. “Suits we neither love nor yet they are meet for us, if otherwise quietly we might enjoy our own. But there is so many that at this day go about to take from the Church, and have an eye to the poor livings of the same, that if your Honour, who is a singular stay and patron of the Church, were not, we were like, to sustain great loss and troubles.”—Durham, 14 June 1578.
	Six signatures.
	1 p.
	536. Affairs of Scotland.
1578, June 21.	Rough memoranda and genealogical notes, in Lord Burghley's handwriting, with reference to the affairs of Scotland.
1578, June 21.	Endorsed :—“21 June 1578.—Estate of Scoland;” and also: “Capita tractatuum :—Perpetua pax; nulla hostilitas; contra rebelles; contra fures; litere salv. conductus.”