1582.
2 Jan.
B. M.
MSS. Add.
28,702. |
191. Memorandum of Cardinal De Granvelle to the King.
[Extract.]
From the contents of the letters of Juan Bautista (de Tassis),
and the assurance given to him by Hercules (i.e., the duke of
Guise), I am confirmed in my opinion that Alençon takes no step
without the knowledge and connivance of his brother and mother.
The marriage with the queen of England is taking the course which
I foretold long ago, and this will be seen all the more clearly from
Don Bernardino's letters. There is no appearance, so far as I can
see, of the Queen-mother's going to England ; I expect the ships are
rather for the return of Alençon. It is quite probable that not only
will their alliance fall through, but they will become enemies in
consequence.
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8 Jan.
Paris Archives,
K. 1447. 115. |
192. The King to Bernardino De Mendoza.
We learn from your letters of 4th December that the Queen's
marriage with the duke of Alençon was being broken off. I hope
that God will ordain it as may be best for His cause, which
doubtless was not the end they had in view. You will keep me
fully informed on this. You did well in having the stolen merchandise,
brought from Terceira, stopped at Lyme, and I am sure
you will follow the matter up. I am delighted to hear how
discredited Don Antonio must be with the mariners, for them to
have deserted his ships. Advise us as to the crew and stores of the
ship which was at Plymouth bound for the Moluccas, and also, if
possible, the course she intends to take out and home. It is a
deplorable thing on the one hand, and a great consolation on the
other, to hear of the martyrdom of those saints. I hope to God, as
you do, that this and all the blood shed in England for the faith
will cry aloud to Him for a remedy to be sent.—Lisbon, 8th January
1582.
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| 10 Jan. |
193. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King.
On the 8th instant Captain Robert, who I wrote had sailed from
Bristol for Terceira with two ships, arrived here. He reports that
no foreign troops had arrived there up to the 10th ultimo, and
that they were busy fortifying the country. He brings back
another ship besides his own two, all of which left Terceira for the
purpose of robbery, and captured two caravels loaded with sugar
coming from Brazil. One of them he sent to Terceira, and the
other, the larger and more valuable, he brought hither. I received
information as soon as he arrived in port, and sent to ask the
Treasurer to obtain an order from the Queen for the stoppage of the
property until the owners appeared, at the same time complaining
of the piracy. He replied that it was a matter upon which I should
address the full Council. I had done this in a communication to
Walsingham, whose business it is to lay such matters before them,
but he sent word that the Council would not meet so quickly, which
is merely an excuse for him and Leicester, as interested persons, to
keep the property, this Robert being a servant of Leicester's who
had been despatched for the purpose of plundering.
Francisco Antonio de Souza has arranged nothing with Alençon
or the Queen. On the contrary, Alençon is understood to have
expressed his annoyance to Marchaumont that this Portuguese was
pressing him to approach the Queen on Don Antonio's business
whilst his own affairs were still pending. Souza has gone to
Antwerp, as he says, to forward Don Antonio's affairs. I hear that
the two ships of Don Antonio's which had put to sea were at the Isle
of Wight a week ago.—London, 10th January 1582.
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194. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King.
I wrote on the 29th, saying how anxious the Queen and Ministers
were for Alençon to leave, but he is still here.
The Queen's ambassador in France has reported the arrival
there of a special Nuncio who came to treat of four subjects
amongst others—first, that a Turkish ambassador should not be
allowed to reside in France ; second, that Alençon should entirely
abandon his help to, and connection with, the Flemish rebels ; third,
that the marriage negotiations should be broken off ; and, fourth,
the marriage of Alençon to one of the Infantas. The ambassador
adds that since the Nuncio's arrival the Turkish ambassador was
with but small hope of a favourable despatch, and that M. de
Lansac would not leave until the king of France had received a
reply to a letter which he had sent to his ambassador in Spain
reporting the intelligence that Alençon had sent from here.
At the same time the Queen received news from the earl of
Arran in Scotland that D'Aubigny was negotiating with the duke
of Guise for foreign troops to be brought into the country, which
has caused great anxiety to her and her Ministers. Before
she received this intelligence she adopted the course of getting
St. Aldegonde to persuade Alençon to leave at once, he having
assured her that he would not do so until she gave him an answer,
giving her as a token of this, for a New Year's gift, an anchor set
with precious stones. The above-mentioned news, however, made
this Queen slacken in her efforts to get him gone, and she again
made a display of wishing to conclude the marriage. On Twelfthnight
eve she assured Alençon of this with tender words, which
she sealed with an oath ; and Alençon and Secretary Pinart made
it clear to her that, when she gave her decided promise to marry
Alençon, and Lansac came, the other conditions should be discussed,
but she has not yet consented to this.
The Queen-mother has written rather a sharp letter to Alençon
pointing out the injury which he may suffer by remaining here, as
the Queen was only delaying him for the purpose of sending him
away the more discredited. I understand that on the 7th the
Treasurer urged the Queen to give Alençon some money and send
him off, as he said it was not meet that he should be detained
here. She replied that when she had an answer to what she had
written to the king of France she would do so. The French
declare that Lansac will be here in four days, and they are basing
their hopes of the marriage on the action of Parliament, which is
convoked for the 18th instant, whilst the English are so vexed at
hearing them say this, and that the marriage will take place, that
it has been necessary for the Queen to tranquillise the people by
ordering the sailors who had left the ships to return to them and
go to the mouth of the river, in order that they may think that
Alençon is shortly to leave. There is, however, no certainty of
this, although he has ordered some of his servants, who were about
to return to France, to delay their departure, saying that he
himself would shortly be going. The instability of him and the
Queen is such that no dependence can be placed upon the decision
of either of them.
Alençon was already wavering about going to Flanders, and now
the news of Orange's retirement from Ghent and Antwerp has
cooled him still more, although he continued to make preparations
for the war. He sent to Antwerp some of the money which he
had received in cash from France. The remittance is sent in sight
bills on Antwerp drawn by Horatio Pallavicini to the duke of
Alençon's order, and the money is to be sent to Lyons. I understand
that this is in fulfilment of an offer made by certain
Florentines here to raise some companies of light horse for him in
Italy if he would advance them some money. I do not know
what sum was sent, but as this money market is a narrow one,
and there are not many bills to be had on Antwerp, it cannot be
large.
Whilst writing this I learn that St. Aldegonde, having received
a despatch from Orange, represented to Alençon the state in which
the rebels were, and said that he must make up his mind, yes or
no, whether he would immediately go over to the States. He
replied that they must be told to do the best they could with the
troops he had sent them, as he could not decide to go over in
person until after he had effected the marriage, upon which
depended the help he was to receive in the war from his brother
and this Queen. To this St. Aldegonde replied that he would take
the message to the States himself, but I do not know whether he
has yet done so.—London, 10th January 1582.
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