| 26 April. |
447. Antonio De Guaras to Zayas.
The enclosed is a copy of my letter sent viâ Flanders. I have
now to report that some of the Queen's ships are being openly
equipped, and a list has been made of seven hundred sailors for
them, without counting officers and some soldiers, the object being
for the ships to cruise in the Channel ready for any service that
may be required of them. I do not know yet what this service
will be. The Flushing people have liberated the flotilla that came
from Bordeaux, but we have not learnt whether the rest of the
ships detained in Ramequin have been liberated or not.
With regard to the matter of the plan of Flushing, I have had
several conferences with Colonel Chester the Englishman, and
have agreed that he and Colonel Daburd (Balfour?) of the Scotch
forces will deliver the town of Flushing to his Majesty for three
hundred thousand crowns and all the plunder that the soldiers can
take. No part of the three hundred thousand crowns is to be paid
until the town has been delivered into the hands of his Majesty's
officers.
As the Colonels themselves have already agreed, the only thing
wanting is the assent on the part of his Majesty, in order that the
written agreement may be executed. There being no Governor,
the matter apparently would have to be entrusted to the Commander
of the fortress, Sancho de Avila, as the Council of Flanders
is not to be trusted. They expect to carry the business through
by pretending that all our forces are to go by land or sea to capture
the isle of Walcheren or Zealand, which will certainly cause Orange
to send a great force of English and Scotch to defend the island,
who will be on our side, and we shall have the matter then in our
own hands, as the inhabitants of Flushing are nearly all mariners
who will have been sent away to prevent the disembarkation of
men from our fleet. Orange, moreover, will send Colonel Daburd
(Balfour?) to defend Flushing and, as both of the Colonels think
that Orange must shortly come to ruin, and they are only looking
out for themselves, they may be depended upon to carry through
this service by means of their captains and soldiers, whom they
will carefully prepare. They stipulate that the sum mentioned is
to be handed to them in Flushing itself on their delivering the
place to his Majesty's officers, hostages being given by them for the
peaceful possession of the town. It will be necessary for Sancho
de Avila or some other person to be authorised to make the agreement
and promise the payment on the surrender being made, and a
person will be sent from here to negotiate it on behalf of the
Colonels. It will be seen that this arrangement will totally ruin
Holland and Zealand, and although the sum they ask is a large
one, yet it will be the means of our recovering all the country, and
will blight the bad intentions of the people here, as well as check
the presumption of the French in desiring to set foot in the States.
It will also prevent the expenditure of millions of money in
continuing the war, and will utterly undo Orange and his friends.
The Colonels are very determined to carry the matter through, in
consideration of the great sum they ask and the booty they will
get from the town. They are awaiting a reply, and are much
grieved at the death of the Grand Commander. The messenger
who takes this is going thither for his own affairs, and as he is
faithful I write this in simple cipher thus openly. It must be
borne in mind that, as the people here will continue to help the
rebels as hitherto, it is only by some such means as this that we
shall be able to complete the conquest of these traitors.
They have not yet given me an answer to his Majesty's letter,
but when they do so, I will send it to the Secretary of the Council
of Flanders, in order that they may see, if necessary, the answer
given by the Queen.
Chester has sent some two hundred soldiers to Holland in the
last three or four days. This does not square well with the Queen's
assertions, but she probably does not know of it.—London, 26th
April 1576.
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