Simancas: March 1572

Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 2, 1568-1579. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1894.

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'Simancas: March 1572', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 2, 1568-1579, (London, 1894) pp. 375-379. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol2/pp375-379 [accessed 25 April 2024]

March 1572

14 March. 311. Guerau De Spes to the King.
[Extract.]
They released my servant in England (fn. 1) after a very cautious interrogation, and having detained him a month longer by threats and promises, and, still finding him firm in his declarations that he knew nothing about any plots against them, they have let him come away before the duke of Alba's letter to the Queen about it was delivered. I learn from him the danger in which the duke of Norfolk now lies, the Queen having already ordered his execution and on the following day again postponed it.
The Queen has given orders under her patent for certain Englishmen and Flemish rebels to falsify crowns and other coins of your Majesty's States. Most of this false money is being coined in Ireland.—Brussels, 14th March 1572.
17 March. 312. The King to Guerau De Spes.
I have learned from your letters and from the copy of that of Zweveghem to you, and the relation you gave to the Duke about England, of the state of things in that country, which certainly is bad enough. The proceedings of the Queen and her friends prove their bad intentions. This has been no news to me, but although I cannot give precise orders from here respecting events which vary from day to day, as the Duke has thern iQ hand I am quite confident that he will do what is best. You will obey his orders and tell him all you learn, and you will also follow his instructions with regard to your coming hither.—Madrid, 17th March 1572.
18 March. 313. Guerau De Spes to the King.
I have received your Majesty's letter of the 24th ultimo, and in conformity therewith will remain here and follow the orders of the duke of Alba.
I have letters from England of the 9th instant, on which date nearly all the merchandise had been sold, but at such high prices that you Majesty's subjects could not buy it, and the English have therefore been able to get it all, the Queen giving them facilities with regard to the payment.
A copy of the arrangement being made with Portugal by the Chevalier Giraldi is enclosed, as is also a copy of the new proclamation of the Queen of England against the pirates, at the instance, as I am told, of certain Easterlings who complain that their goods are stolen, mixed up with others. The effect will be the same as that of the six or seven other proclamations which were issued when I was there. I will report everything to the duke of Alba.—Brussels, 18th March 1572.
26 March. 314. Antonio De Guaras (fn. 2) to the King.
Hoping that my boldness will not offend your Majesty, I send this report for your Majesty's information of present events here. The disorder in which this is written is for greater obscurity in the cipher. I write to the duke of Alba to the same effect. The substance of it is that, two months ago, a third person came to speak to me several times, saying that it would be a great service to God and a benefit to your Majesty's dominions, as well as to this country, if some agreement could be arrived at respecting the present dissension, and he was certain that this discord was in a great measure owing to there being no one to undertake the necessary good offices. He said that the Queen and Council were quite willing to come to an agreement, and I, greatly praising his good wishes and opinion, told him that I believed your Majesty also was willing and there would be no falling back on your part. At the same time the person always told me that, if I would convey this good feeling of the Queen and Council to your Majesty or the duke of Alba, he, for his part, would also inform Lord Burleigh of my willingness to render good offices to the same end. As your Majesty knows, it is Burleigh who rules the whole of this country. I invariably replied that I would give no advice of this matter until I was satisfied that there was some good foundation for his assertion, and thereupon this third person arranged that Lord Burleigh should summon me, as he did yesterday, and after he had mentioned many matters in justification of the Queen and Council in the past dissensions, I, replying, throwing the blame upon them, which he seemed to take in good part, he declared, without any dissimulation or hesitation, the willingness with which the Queen and Council would enter into negotiations for an agreement. He seemed to me to say this with every appearance of truth and earnestness, and, however disingenuous their previous offers had been, the present one was made apparently with all sincerity and with a desire for tranquility and repose. He spoke of your Majesty's person with due reverence, confessing to me that they had always hitherto feared and suspected greatly that the duke of Alba, being a declared enemy, might oppose an arrangement, but they had since been informed that the evil did not arise with him entirely, but from certain people in your Majesty's Court, mentioning the late duke of Feria, who, he said, was ostensibly a good friend to the Queen, but was in matters of State her enemy. I said that in your Court, in Flanders and here, he, Cecil, was much looked up to in affairs, and consequently was the more bound to conduct them to a good end, as he could do if he pleased, whereupon he answered me with an oath that if it had not been for him the late suspension of relations would have ended in an open rupture, and Flanders would have felt the effect in acts rather than words. As I saw he was not displeased to listen to me, I told him my opinion on the matter, and pointed out the great advantage to them which would accrue from the preservation of peace with the House of Burgundy, saying that he was not ignorant of the attitude which should be assumed towards so potent a prince as your Majesty, who was not only master of great kingdoms and revenues, but had the command of the fortunes of many people by means of your credit. I said that all princes valued the success of your Majesty's affairs, and that the confidence which the English were placing in Frenchmen and in a party of the Scots was generally believed to be unfounded. He replied, amongst other things, that, if the business came to an open rupture, the queen of England would display an amount of strength that would surprise some people, but he assured me that the Queen and Council being desirous of quietude, if I conveyed this good feeling to your Majesty and the duke of Alba, I should find that I had not acted lightly, but with all the weight that his word could give me. All this and other things to the same effect he expressed with an appearance of much kindness and goodwill, saying that he hoped that I should exercise my good offices in the matter. This conversation took place in his own room, no other person being allowed there to overhear us, but during the course of the interview view the French ambassador came and disturbed us, when Cecil said to me, "I will send you word by the third person when I want to see you." I asked him whether I should write before I saw him again, to which he replied, "You may well write." This is almost word for word what passed with Burleigh, but, in the course of talk, he also said that, though tranquillity might result from this conversation, if anything to the contrary fell out, they were ready to put themselves on the offensive and defensive ; and that, from letters which had been taken from Beaton, a Scotch noble, on his way to Scotland, he, Cecil, had intelligence of the understandings with the duke of Alba. He also said many things about the Queen being much offended at your Majesty having placed Stukeley in such a high position, they having been informed that you gave him a great daily allowance for his expenses, had made him a knight, and done other things to the Queen's prejudice. He said that on another occasion he would speak to me more at leisure, and I took leave of him. I will advise your Majesty and the duke of Alba of what else occurs with him.
So far as my poor judgment goes, I feel sure that they really desire peace, as he expressed grief at the time which must necessarily elapse before your Majesty or the Duke received the information, and could send a reply, for which he seemed impatient. The best way to please or cajole them would be to let them have a reply quickly. There is every reason to believe that in past times they did not desire peaceful terms, because they were persuaded that France would be a better friend, and that Orange and his party could do much, whilst they thought that the Granada business would not easily be settled. As they now, moreover, are in some fear of the people in consequence of the imprisonment of the duke of Norfolk and his friends, it is plain that they desire peace, and are in much fear of war. I recognise that the said third person had been sent to me by Burleigh for these reasons, and especially because of the glorious victory over the Turk, and other similar victories which may be hoped for with God's help. What is most perplexing to them is your Majesty's silence in the face of so much offence, and so many opportunities. In short everything tends to the belief that Burleigh's declaration is sincere, and the conclusion may be drawn that it is now in your Majesty's hands, either to agree to an arrangement, or the contrary, if such shall be to the interests of God and your Majesty. There is a general muster of troops through the country on the 1st May, and they are arming ten of the Queen's ships.—London, 26th March 1572.
28 March. 315. Guerau De Spes to the King.
I consulted with the duke of Alba respecting what your Majesty orders in your letter of 24th ultimo, and he thought it would be best to await your Majesty's reply to the special messenger sent.
Letters from England of 13th and 18th report the continuation of the sale, and that the Queen had shown certain letters in cipher to M. de Croc, the French ambassador, who has gone to Scotland which she said were from the duke of Alba, informing the queen of Scotland that he had given orders to certain men to kill the queen of England, a great fiction invented to ingratiate herself the more with the French. They also report that the pirates have again been capturing ships belonging to your Majesty's subjects, notwithstanding the proclamations against them. The English are again arming furiously, and the Queen had given orders to fit out ten of her ships.
I conversed to-day with the duke of Alba about Hawkins, and set forth the service he could render. I will advise your Majesty what is decided on this and other points.—Brussels, 28th March 1572.

Footnotes

  • 1. Borghese, the ambassador's steward, had been arrested at Canterbury when with his master, on the charge of plotting to murder Cecil. He was probably the same man who was secretary to the former Spanish ambassador, the bishop of Aquila, and the story of whose treachery and betrayal of his master's secrets is fully detailed in Vol. I. of the present Calendar (Spanish—Elizabeth, 1559—1567). Another servant of the ambassador, Damian Dela, the Valencian tailor, was also arrested.
  • 2. From the expulsion of Don Guerau de Spes until the coming of Don Bernardino de Mendoza, early in 1578, there was no resident Spanish ambassador in England, and Antonio de Guaras was apparently instructed to watch over Spanish interests informally. He had lived in England for many years as a merchant, and was a leading member of the Spanish community in London, at least as far back as 1549 and probably earlier. His letters were usually addressed to the Governors of the Netherlands and to Gabriel de Zayas, the King's secretary, but, as may be imagined, are neither so full or so frequent as those of a regular accredited ambassador would have been. They are altogether missing from the archives from the end of 1572 to the end of 1574, and an attempt has been made in the present Calendar to supply their place partly from other sources. All that is known of Antonio de Guaras has been recently embodied in an interesting monograph entitled "Antonio de Guaras." by Richard Garnett, LL.D. (London, 1892).
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