Elizabeth: September 1587

390. Dr. Fletcher to [ ]. [Sept. 3.] Cott. Calig., D. L, fol. 196.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . your lordship—for which I humbly crave your . . . . . . pardon—I have . . . . . . the same herewith to your lordship a small signification of my hearty affection in all Christian and ready dutifulness unto your lordship, most humbly beseeching your lordship for the continuance of that honourable favour which I have ever found ready and received of your lordship, whereunto my ability, as it cannot in the least measure be answerable; yet shall I strive to be foremost in the number and communion of those who commend the safety and security of your lordship, both in spirit and person, to God's most gracious and guardable defence, in which kind of Christian service I nothing doubt but, as that fath . . . was wont to say, Plus valet unus sanctus orando quam mille pecca[to]res proeliando.

I send also to your lordship a note of the form of the Scottish Queen's funerals, done at Peterborough, and wish with all my heart, not in any particular or irregular affection, but both for the free passage of the Gospel, her highness' security and safety, and the Church's and commonwealth's peace and prosperity, that all her majesty's enemies, as Henry, the Fourth Emperor, said of Rudolph, his adversary and competitor, by him in battle slain and honourably interred, "was as magnificently buried." This is rejoicing, my good lordship, that at the beginning of that action and her trial I persuaded that most honourable senate to cause justice and peace to kiss one another, so it is also my lot to cast earth to that earth, and ashes to those cinders whereout the fire was so happily quenched.

Next to the health and good estate of her majesty, I have not anything more acco . . . to signify to your lordship than the great and never more bountiful blessing of our gracious God, the inning of a most plentiful and seasonable harvest. The complaining in our streets, which has these many months been grievous, is, God's name be blessed, ceased, and God has filled our garners with store and our hunger with bread, if our hearts may be filled with joy and our mouths with thankfulness. The Bishop of Durham is departed this life, in the disposition whereof, by removes and ot . . ., it pleases the lords both to wish and to work my futherance; whose intention I beseech your lordship to let your wonted hand and favour be . . . It has been and is unto me, among many, the most and the best "bestead" one.

It shall not ever repent your lordship of your work therein, and I doubt not but by God's grace to do both unto God and His Church, her majesty and your lordship, as good and careful service as any other of my . . . and condition. May it therefore please your good lordship, until God send you . . . . . . to commend your lordship's favour towards me to some such of the lords as shall seem best unto your lordship, that it may be known your honour likes . . . . . . my furtherance.

And thus heartily praying Almighty God . . . is rich in goodness, to give your lordship counsel and strength, which both . . . . . . the war, that sustaining His cause and your country's service your . . . . . . blessed of Him in them both to His glory and your honour. From the Court at Otelands. Signature torn away.

1 p. Holograph. No flyleaf or address.

391. The Laird of Poury Ogilvie to Walsingham. [Sept. 4.]

"This present is nocht till insist in giffine zowir lordschip most haertly thanks for the faworabill and lowing answeir I resawit of my last letters direct unto zowir lordschip; for God willing zowir lordschip sall sie zowir thankfull benefits to be bestowit one no ungraet man."

"My jwrnay is staeyit, and that be my parents and frinds maist ernest requeistis, qwhairwnto I cwld nocht weill bot obtemperat, alwayss I howp to be no less staedebill to zowir lordschip in my byding at home thaen wyerwayss—my dewtie unto the Kings majestie my maister and swueraen, being alwayss respectit—for there sall be nothing here done nor menit by the catholikes agaynst the present state of eyther of the contryes wherof ye sall not be foresein."

"In dew time thaer is ane gentillman to pass in France, throch Ingland, qwhais woyage staeis onlye uppon John Cheisholme who was sent last thayr in commission to the bishoppe of Glasgo, which is dulye loked for, called Sir James Chesholme, one of his majesties masters of howseholde. He is to be imployed by his grace to deale both with the King of France and the Duke of Guise in great purposes ass also he is to be imployed in that I myselfe shold have had in charge; and this not only becawse he is a catholike, bot ane alsua qwhais creditt is not thought to be vulgar, and that be the moyen of his unckle who is visitor of the Charterhowse monkes in France, and of his awine brother who is bishopp of Ast."

"And becawse the sayd gentilman is to use maist part of my opinion in this his jorney and employment, in respect of our proximitie in blwide, I thocht it nocht impertinent to mak zowir honwr forsein therof, desyring zowir lordschips opinione with expeditione how to use my selfe in this matter; togither that I will tak the hardies to be so haemly with zowir lordschip ass to reqweist zowir honwr to send me bak with zowir ansueir twa or thrie dwsaen of broid buttons of perille, sik ass ar to be bocht in Londone, for if thaey cwld haif bein gottine in this contrie for silver, I wald haif bein leith to haif impeschit zowir lordschip with sik triffils."

"Ass I resaif zowir lordschips answeir, so sall I mak zowir lordschip acquentit of all theyr thinges, in particular of his privye commission from the catholikes with the names of the dealers as well here as in France, for I wass so neir the point of my jurnaey that I had receaved all mine instrucciouns written."

"If I knew nocht that zowir lordschip war sufficiently informit of the present estate of this contrye I wald lat zowir lordschip understand of things that ar merwelus, quhilk with the rest I remitt to your answer, at qwhait tym I howpe to reveale sike coning dealing to zowir honor wherof ye sall report no small creditt; protestine alwayss that maeters lackine thaer wissit succes, ass I howpe thaey sall schortlie doe, zowir lordschip will at leist beir recorde of my gwid will and mening in their twrnis."

"In my next letter I howp to resolve zowir lordschip of this misterie, togither with qwhaitsumever uther thing your honor is in doute of." Falkland. Signature in cipher. Postscript: "M^r Edmond Hay is also to passe shortelye into France, sent to the rest of the Jesuistes by the Erle of Huntlyes and Fentryes advise for ilke thinges as shall be delated vnto you in due time."

1 p. Holograph. Addressed. Indorsed. Partly in cipher.

Decipher of the same.

392. Extract of Letters of the Laird of Poury Ogilvie. [Sept. 4.]

Extracts from the third paragraph and postscript of No. 391. ½ p. Copy.

393. Mr. Archibald Douglas to [ ]. [Sept. 5.] Cott. Calig., D. I., fol. 204.

". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the King my . . . your . . . ar cummed to your handis, whearat I do greitlye mervell. I haif be letteris certefeit so muche to his hyenes, and expectis the ansser thayrof wythe expedition. What order her majeste and her honorabell Consall hathe . . . kin in such matteris as may concerne the King my masteris effayris I haif at lenthe reported to your sayd trusty freynd the berar heirof, be whose sufficiencye . . . beleawe your lordship shall remayn fullye informed of . . . proseadingis passed. Howsone I shall ressawe any le . . . from that realm, which I dayly luk for, the contentis shalbe knawin to your excellencye."

"In this mydde tym I haif thocht it expedient to inform your lordship this delay to end materris wyth the King my maister doeth produce these ill effects, that libertye is thayrby gro . . . or rather thakin to ane nombre of the worst sort of cuntraymen of Scotland to practise and negotiat in the King his nayme in all effairis vyth uther princis, as if thay wer authorised by thayr maister, who I may assur your lordship doeth knaw nothing heirof. But this gevis thaym . . . nos to do it that they remayn in hoipe—so long as her majeste is not in gud intelligens vyth him—if uther princis shall mak large and liberall offorris that he may be inducit to heir of thaym, and in the end be brocht to aggre thereonto be ill mein in his awin realme."

"I pray God her majeste may be moved to consider of this ill, and to geve order for the remedy thairof. And so leaving all uther materris to my next letteris onto your excellencye, whom I do hartly thank for the gud opinion consaved of my negociation, I humblye tak my leave. From Londone, this fift of Septembber." Signature torn away.

1 p. Holograph. No flyleaf or address.

394. Claude Hubert to Monsieur de Courcelles. [Sept. 10.]

I have received two letters from you, one by a Scotch gentleman, the other by the man whom you sent. For reply, it is out of my power to be able at present to aid you with ten crowns, for I have them not, and the time is not meet for borrowing them, on account of the misfortunes that we see falling upon us by reason of the troubles. The last time that Nisbett came I furnished five hundred crowns of mine, including fifty pounds of rent which I charge upon myself, which on account of hard times I am not ready to redeem. If I had the means or the power you would not so abide, but indebt myself further I cannot. For myself I would not do what I have done but that necessity pressed upon me very closely. I have been in the presence of the gentleman and of your man at the complaints to Monsieur Pinard, but he cried out first and spoke in such strange terms that I will never speak to him. He told me that you play the ambassador over there and go to the council, and nevertheless that you have only been left there to receive packets; that you ought not to increase your train; that your quality was that of servant of Monsieur d'Auneval and of no other, that if you play the great man (on your own account) it was in the pay of the said Sieur d'Auneval. I was so amazed at the first shock that it made me dumb: howbeit I remonstrated with him that in whatever quality you were there, there was no appearance of truth in saying that three hundred crowns were sufficient to defray the year for you. I am of opinion that it is most expedient that you quit thence altogether, for the longer you are there, the more indebted and bound you will be. That being so, and affairs continuing in the way they now are, there is no likelihood of getting a sou. Howbeit he has promised me to speak to the treasurer of Spain tomorrow or Monday at the council. I will be at the Louvre to remind him, contrary to the oath which I made about it. As to what remains concerning the treasurer Hardy, he threatens to make me restore what I have received, in such sort as distresses me; if that happens I shall be in great trouble; as to the other accounts there is also but little hope. Like those others, I am so wearied that I would I might never have occasion to speak to any of these gentlemen, who are all deceivers, and I assure you that if you sojourn longer in those parts you will ruin yourself entirely. In no wise charge Nisbet upon me, for there is no means of getting money anywhere soever. I am sorry for you; you would have done better not to make the voyage, and to remain in this place, for they want to feed you with fair words, and are content to have embarked you and to reap the fruit of your labour, which you ought not to endure. It is most expedient that you return, for you will never get out of it but with ruin. Paris. 20 September 1587. Signed: Claude Hubert.

1½ pp. French. Addressed.

395. Monsieur Courcelle's Negotiations in Scotland. [Sept. 18.] Cott. Calig., C. IX., fols. 556–571, 453–458.

[Recapitulation of documents, 4th October 1586 to 18th September 1587.]

47 pp. In Thomas Phelippe's hand. (Printed at length, Bannatyne Club, 1828.)

396. Extracts of Letter of Robert Carvill. [Sept. 22.]

A Spaniard arrived in Scotland by means of a Scottish merchant, who being in some gaol in Spain about religion was set at liberty and became in great credit with the King of Spain; with whom having conference, this messenger was sent with another Scottish merchant with letters from that King to the King of Scots, offering to lend him the wage of 30,000 soldiers for three years or longer if he would make war with the Queen of England; with further promises as yet unknown. "But the messenger hath his dispatche and is within 2 or 3 daye to retorne to the court of Spayne. Fouler is still in Spayne."

"One Foster, a Scottishman, is presentlye to go over into Spayne for the Papistes of Scotland, who hath a pension of the King there."

"The convention long loked for sat doune at Falkeland 15 September, and broke upp the 19th: the procedings not yett knowne abrode. But the embassadors of Denmarke are presentlye to passe away."

"The King hath lett Orkeney to farme to the Lord Chancellor and Justice Clerke, but the Lord Robert will not part with it. They have prepared 3 shippes at Lithe, and one Patrike Ballendon hath undertaken to fetche him from thence. But the Lord Robert hath sent monye to the Erle Bothwell to provide him 3 shippes at Dundee, which he hath done, and they are a-rigging them to send them away well manned and appoynted, under color of wafting [sic] the fishermen from pyrates."

"The Erles Huntley, Bothuell and Crauford are in great consort to the contrary of England. The Erle Bothuell is in great jelousye that the Lord Chancellor is a frend to England, and therfore lyeth in wayte to take letters, therbye to gett matter agaynst him.

1 ¹/6 pp. Copy.

397. Accounts of Monsieur de Courcelles. [Sept. 28.]

For the sum of fifty crowns of the sun that Mr. Henry Nysbet, merchant of this town, has this day lent me in ready money, the which sum of fifty crowns of the sun I promise to render and pay to him either in France or in this town at his will. Done at Edinburgh the 26th day of April 1587.

For the sum of one hundred crowns of the sun which Mr. Henry Nysbet, merchant of this town, has this day lent me in ready money, the which sum of one hundred crowns of the sun I promise him to render and pay at his will either in France or in this town. Done at Edinburgh the 28th day of May 1587.

For the sum of two hundred crowns which the said Mr. Nysbet, merchant of this town, has lent me in ready money, to wit, one hundred and fifty pounds to pay Captain Lader the like sum which he had lent me, 153 ^li.11 ^s. 3 ^d. to pay for the silver vessel which I bought, and 48 ^li. 18 ^s. 9 ^d. which remain to me, the which sums amount to the aforesaid sum of two hundred crowns of the sun, which I promise him to render and pay with the preceding ones either in France or in this town at his will. Done at Edinburgh the 13th day of June 1587.

For the sum of one hundred crowns of the sun which the said Mr. Nysbet has lent me in ready money, the which sum of one hundred crowns of the sun I promise him to render and pay at his will either in France or in this town. Done at Edinburgh the 11th day of July 1587.

Further, the said Mr. Nysbet has lent and furnished me in ready money the sum of one hundred crowns of the sun, which I promise him, with the preceding sums contained on the other side, to render and pay either in this town or in France at his will. Done at Edinburgh the tenth day of the month of August 1587.

Further, the said Mr. Nysbet has lent and furnished me in ready money the sum of one hundred crowns of the sun, which I promise him, with other sums that I owe him by my promises, to render and pay either in this town or in France at his will. Done at Edinburgh the 28th day of September 1587.

1½ pp. French. Indorsed.

398. De Courcelles to [Pinart]. [Sept. 28.]

Sir, the desire that I have had for a long time to do you some service in all that which it has pleased you to command me, without esteeming myself to have failed in aught of my duty, or to have given you one single occasion to think ill of me or to take offence, has been the cause that I have not been willing lightly to give credence to that which a Scotch gentleman—whom I had addressed to my brother-in-law to furnish him with some money—has written hither to many of his friends of all the discontent which you had of me, who was playing the ambassador and the great man in this country, where I had only been left by Monsieur D'Esneval to receive payments; that I was here only as the servant and in the pay of Monsieur d'Esneval; with other statements which have so discredited me that I remain forsaken and without any credit in these parts; which have taken from me every quality but that of his servant and in his pay; with other statements full rather of anger than of any other subject.

This has been most unexpected news to me, not thinking that I had given occasion to any one to interpret my actions and conduct so ill, which I have been at pains to render as sincere and honest as was possible to me.

And yet, if I have failed in those things, and have not conducted myself according to your desire, it has not been for want of good will, and of having besought you by letters wherewith the said Sieur D'Esneval charged himself at his departure, to do me the favour to let me know your commands and intentions, that I might conduct myself according to the same. Whereupon, if your good pleasure had been to let me know anything, I should have been eager to effectuate it as well as was possible for me, and most [punctually].

Nevertheless, in order not to give you a worse opinion of me, I will pray you, if I am not pleasing to you, to do me this favour to cause my congé to be given to me, and some means to pay [my entertainment], having known nothing either by . . . . . . or otherwise, except by that which some Scotchmen have written about it, which they say they heard from you; I do not wish in any wise to think for any discontent with me, but for the [safety] of [themselves?] and of those who were with [them].

And if any have wished to give you other evil suspicions of me, I would beg you not to take it in ill part if I am importunate to you in these things.

As regards my expenses, having divers times begged the said Sieur d'Esneval to tell me what I had to rely upon by the month, and he not having wished to let me know anything about it, it seems to me for want of better advice that I could not fail to rule myself in accordance with the appointments which those employed in the like office receive.

And concerning my having no other title than that of [esquire] to Monsieur D'Esneval, I shall be always very glad to be able to do him service as far as shall be in me, and in that which it shall please him and you to command me. But the letters which his majesty wrote to the King of Scotland after the departure of the said Sieur D'Esneval, and the despatches which you, monsieur, and Monsieur Brulart have sent me, seem to bear another quality, which I acknowledge [that I bear] from you.

As to being in his pay, or in yours, I cannot be without pay and entertainment in this realm; but I pray you to advise me what I shall understand, as he promised me to do when he left me there, although during my stay he has not been willing to get his majesty to grant my entertainment; and although I have been continued in this hope by endless letters which he has written to me about it in the space of 10 or 11 months, without having been willing to give me to understand that he was still yet employed in the estate of ambassador; which indeed I do not wish to say is true, being uncertain thereof.

I cannot suppose that I am in his pay unless I had agreed about it with him, or he had written to me of it. And it seems to me a very hard thing, after having remained in this realm for the space of 14 months without having received one single brass farthing except 300 [crowns], and having expended one's own money, with long patience and travail, to be still blamed, which I regret extremely, and yet more that you should be angry with me without my having given any occasion thereof to you or any other.

And it seems to me, saving your better opinion, rather than fall again into anger, and I into the annoyance that I have received from it, which I cannot yet get over, that it would be better—and for that I pray you very humbly—to cause means to be given me to pay my debts.

And I beseech you most humbly that it may please you either to cause means to be given me from his majesty or from yourself, not being able to remain longer here unless I can have assurance to be afterwards paid at the treasury, or by him who shall receive the rank of ambassador, the same appointment as those who are employed in the like office.

Otherwise to cause my congé to be given me, in order that I may return; and some part of that which I have myself been constrained to spend. Having no longer means to support myself, I fear that I may be arrested, and find no credit of a single farthing.

Contrary to that which the Scotchman wrote hence, I may say that I have received nothing since the departure of the said Sieur D'Esneval, except all annoyances, which as yet I perceive not to cease, but to grow from day to day. To which God will put an end when it shall please him.

1½ pp. French. Draft.

399. De Courcelles to [Pinart]. [Sept.]

I had expected, according to what you had told me on the 3rd day of the month of August last, to receive by the 20th of that same month the 20 crowns which I lent to you in this town some long time ago. But I have since heard nothing of it, which causes me to write the present to you, to pray you to send me the said sum to this town. By so doing you will do me a great pleasure.

¼ p. French. Draft.