Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1896.
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'Simancas: June 1586', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586, (London, 1896) pp. 583-589. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol3/pp583-589 [accessed 24 April 2024]
June 1586
| 9 June. Paris Archives, K. 1564. 106. |
444. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King. In accordance with your Majesty's orders that I am to write by various channels, I send the present letter by the ordinary merchant-post which start from Rouen. Although it is slow I have not lost any despacthes sent by it yet. I have been trying for months past, as your Majesty now orders, to ascertain whether Drake had instructions from the Queen to undertake any particular enterprise agreed upon beforehand. As, however, they consider him a man of such great experience in this navigation, by reason of his previous monstrous robbery, I understand that he did not take precise orders from the Queen, except to plunder as much as he could, to enable her to sustain the war in Flanders, leaving the details entirely to his discretion. When I was in England, this was the offer that Drake was always making to the Queen, namely, to go out and rob your Majesty's fleets, whenever she pleased to provide him with ships for the purpose. The idea of landing and establishing himself on shore and awaiting reinforcements from England was one that the Queen's Council, and the English in general, regarded as extremely difficult of execution, because of the impossibility of their carrying merchandise for trade, their ships being, as usual, three-quarters loaded with victuals, so that even for shorter voyages than this the cost would be prohibitive. If the expedition, moreover, were composed of ships fitted out by separate private persons, they would have no confidence in one another, no assurance that each one would not leave the rest to plunder on his own account, and disappear as soon as he took a prize. Notwithstanding what I say, I have written again to England, asking that every effort may be made to elucidate the point. I have no fresher news than that contained in my last, to the effect that no ships had left up to that time, although the English ambassador here has declared that 20 ships had sailed to reinforce Drake, since the reception of the news of his exploit at Santo Domingo. There is no truth in this, except that private pirates have left some of the ports, each on his own account to rob as best he might, some going to Newfoundland to plunder the fishing boats. It has been impossible to ascertain whether the Queen has received news from Drake by a vessel sent by him, as no men from such a ship have been seen, (fn. 1) nor has anything been heard of it, except the information sent from Seville, and that given by some French ships which were at Santo Domingo and have arrived at Havre de Grace with hides, sugar, and cochineal. They (the French) report that Drake found that all the people of Santo Domingo and Porto Rico had fled to the mountains, having saved most of the treasure of the country, and that on Drake threatening to burn all the houses they came to an agreement to pay him 50,000 crowns as a ransom for them. News comes from Rouen that they hear from London of the sailing of 20 ships to join Drake, four of them of 500 tons each, but they do not say who was in command, nor which port they sailed from, nor the day of departure, which proves the news to be untrue. It was probably founded on the intelligence I sent, of the four merchant ships that had left the Thames to join others in Plymouth, —Paris, 9th June 1586. |
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| 24 June. Paris Archives, K. 1564. 110. |
445. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King. My last news from England, dated the 11th instant, advise the continuance of the preparation of ships, although there was a lack of sailors, in consequence of so large a number having gone with Drake and private pirates, as well as those employed in the Flushing communications. I am informed that Don Antonio is in great alarm at seeing how desirous the Queen is to come to terms with your Majesty, and my confidants have been telling me for months past that she had been approaching the prince of Parma on the subject. I reported this to the Prince, but he denied it, saying that people who sent such intelligence could not have much understanding. I communicated this to my agents in England, who again asserted the truth of their statement, and said that a servant of Cecil's had gone to Calais on the matter ; Graffina, (fn. 2) a Genoese merchant, afterwards going to see the prince of Parma about it, with a Fleming named André de Loo whom I know. On the 11th the Danish ambassador was in England, and the Queen writes to her ambassador here, telling him to spread the news underhand, that he (the Danish ambassador) had come from his master to recommend her to make terms with your Majesty, for which purpose your Majesty had bribed the king of Denmark. This report is accordingly current here, but the French see plainly how burdened she is with the war, and how desirous she is to become reconciled with your Majesty.—Paris, 24th June 1586. |
| 24 June. Paris Archives, K. 1564. 112. |
446. Bernardino De Mendoza to Juan De Idiaquez. I forgot to tell you that Captain Vasco Duarte (Pacheco) shot at the English ambassador here, and others, and then disappeared. I only gave him 20 crowns at different times, holding back until I received His Majesty's instructions as to how I should treat him. The four men who had taken the resolution, about which I wrote to you on the 11th ultimo, have again assured me that they are agreed that it shall be done by steel when opportunity occurs. One of them is confessed and absolved every day, and says that there is no need for the others in the business at all. A cataract has completely blinded the writer's left eye, and on the recommendation of surgeons and oculists he has decided to have it couched with the needle when the weather becomes warmer. He cites the case of a lady friend whose sight had been improved by a similar operation.—Paris, 24th June 1586. |
| 24 June. Paris Archives, K. 1564. 113. |
447. Unsigned Advices from London. Philip Sidney, a relative of the earl of Leicester, has been pressing the Queen urgently to let him return to England, but his petition has been firmly refused, and his wife has therefore made ready to join him. With regard to the information you ask me to send you respecting the naval preparations being made here, I can assure you that there are none, and no appearance of any being made, as we all of us here believe. There recently arrived here an Englishman who assured everybody that the king of Spain was making no naval preparations, as had been said, but that he only had some old patched up ships in Biscay, and some similar ones in Lisbon. Nevertheless they (the English), not feeling very confident of such news, have decided to send four or five little vessels to cruise off the coasts of Spain, Portugal, and France, to see whether they can discover any signs of warlike preparation. They have also a large ship in commission to cruise on the English coast and elsewhere to watch the coming and going of others. She is very well manned and found for her purpose, but at present there are no other preparations here. As soon as I can discover anything I will not fail to report it, unless in the meanwhile I may be in Holland, where I hope to perform some good service. I also hope shortly to be able to visit you in person. The Queen and Council have been consulting recently as to the establishment of a regular annual trade to the Spanish Indies, an arrangement by which the English merchants will constantly maintain 50 war ships fully provided with all munitions, and the Holland and Zeeland merchants will maintain an equal number on their part, so that they count upon having 100 vessels always at sea for the voyage to and from the Indies. Nothing can be definitely settled, however, until the result of Drake's voyage be known, and the affairs of Holland decided, although our people are like old hounds which scent their prey from afar, in order to turn everything to their own advantage. So far as matters in Holland are concerned, they are happening every day more contrary to the intentions of the earl of Leicester. I mentioned to you in my last letter that the earl of Cumberland had ordered seven or eight ships to be fitted out, as well as others. It is now certain that these ships will first direct their course to the coast of Brazil, and afterwards to the Indies. The vessels are in excellent order, well provided with men and all necessary stores for the voyage. The delegates (fn. 3) for the conclusion of the alliance with Scotland have left, and the affair is now looked upon as settled. Great desire is felt here for the ending of the disturbances in France, and it is said that the King will make some arrangement with his subjects, such as was made before. It is quite certain now that the earl of Leicester is in very bad grace with the Queen, and is quite unable to effect a reconciliation with her or to obtain what he desires for his maintenance, as she looks upon him with great suspicion. He has made great efforts to be allowed to return and justify himself to the Queen in all things, but as he has been unable to obtain her permission he can only prosecute his enterprise with shame and dishonour, at the risk of losing the whole country, seeing that the town of Grave is lost, (fn. 4) so that I hope that, what with the suspicions of the Earl, entertained by the Queen, and what with his own failure, we shall soon be able to learn the aims of both of them with regard to Holland and Zeeland.—London, 24th June 1586. |
| 26 June. Paris Archives, K. 1564. 114. |
448. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King. After closing the two general letters I send to your Majesty, the letter written to me by the queen of Scotland was deciphered and is enclosed herewith. As I consider it important (fn. 5) that no time should be lost its reaching you, I made it worth the while of this Frenchman, the bearer, to delay his departure, although, as I am in bed with my eyes bandaged, having this morning been couched for a cataract in my left eye, and being forbidden by the doctors to speak much, I shall not be able to say very much on the matter. I must observe, however, that for several months past, as I have previously reported, a very bad understanding exists between the queen of Scotland and her son. From what I could gather in England, I am convinced that this is caused by the over-weaning ambition of the son, and I have consequently continued to write to the Queen to the effect that, if she be not quite certain that her son is a sincere Catholic, all that was done in his favour would bring the greater danger upon her. She saw this clearly in the matter of the association of the King with her in her rights, which she proposed to him, and he cast aside offhandedly. I also pointed out how little she had to thank the French for, because when your Majesty tried to obtain more liberty for her they threw obstacles in the way by every possible means, and drew closer than ever to the queen of England. Moreover, failing the queen of Scotland and her son, your Majesty is the direct legitimate heir to the crown of England. Cecil, the Lord Treasurer, was in the habit of saying that the duchy of Lancaster had been unlawfully usurped from your Majesty, and it is by that line that your Majesty's claim to the crown is established, as will be seen clearly by the genealogical tree of the kings of Scotland which was drawn up by the bishop of Ross, and sent by me last year to your Majesty. William and Charles Paget are not at present here. When the former returns I will learn from him what message has been sent by the queen of Scotland in credence, and will immediately advise your Majesty, with the answer I send back, which will be in general terms, encouraging her, and expressing due acknowledgments for the trust she reposes in me, which of itself would oblige me to treat the matter with the secrecy she enjoins, even though my own great desire to serve her did not impel me thereto. At the request of the duke of Guise and myself, the prince of Parma granted an allowance of 30 crowns a month to Godfrey Foljambe, as it is important in your Majesty's interests to keep the queen of Scotland well pleased, and it will be well for your Majesty to order the grant to be confirmed, and the Prince authorised to pay the allowance even whilst Godfrey is here in France. I think also that your Majesty should grant 40 crowns a month to Morgan, to be paid here, as he is the person who is most in the queen of Scotland's confidence, and with very good reason, as he is extremely faithful and intelligent. She mentions this in her letter, and it is further proved by his having found a way to communicate with her, although for the last year and a half he has been a prisoner in the Bastille here. Through his channels in England he has been able from his prison to write to the queen of Scotland after all means of access to her had been closed. (fn. 6) I well know what a subject for pleasure and rejoicing it will be to her if your Majesty will show such a favour as this to Morgan. Even apart from this, he thoroughly deserves it, in consideration of the information he gives me, both as regards English affairs and about the other prisoners in the Bastille, with whom he communicates, and amongst whom there are persons of importance, whose questions to him throw light on many matters. I wrote to the queen of Scotland some time since, asking her to appoint the person who was to receive the 4,000 crowns for her. I must send this unsigned as my eyes are bandaged.—Paris, 24th June 1586. |
| 30 June. Paris Archives, K. 1564. 115. |
449. Unsigned Advices from London. Since the earl of Leicester was daring enough to take the government of Holland and Zeeland in his own hands, the queen of England has regarded him with much disfavour, and has continued to hold a very bad opinion of him. She has, moreover, near her person many who are constantly trying to incense her the more against him ; and since Grave was taken, the Earl has greatly lost credit here, as they look upon him as a very cowardly man. This has made the Hollanders themselves mutinous, on account of certain news that had been spread amongst them, namely, that the queen of England had made up her mind to abandon them, and make her peace with the Catholic King. The Earl was much frightened at this, seeing the condition of those who surrounded him on the one hand, and the suspicion of the queen of England against him on the other, and he thought of retiring to England. He only wrote to the Queen, however, by Thomas Heneage, praying Her Majesty to write and banish such an idea as this from the minds of the Hollanders, and assure them thus that she approved of his government. In order to persuade the Queen to this, the Earl has promised to maintain the war with the taxes drawn from the country itself, on condition that she will continue to contribute the 1,000 horse and 5,000 foot in accordance with her original promise to rescue the countries of Holland and Zeeland. He also requested permission to draw from England all the troops who were willing to volunteer for the war, and if she would not allow this, at least to let him raise men at his own cost, and that of the Hollanders, which troops might be brought from Scotland, Germany, and elsewhere, as might be found convenient. After the Queen had considered these requests, she decided to grant them ; and she wrote to the Hollanders to-day saying that she would keep her word in all things, and approved of the government of the earl of Leicester. She also assured them that she would make no peace with the Catholic King, notwithstanding the news that reaches her from all sides of the great fleet which His Majesty is preparing, with the aid of various other Catholic Princes. They (the English) are not under any apprehension with regard to these preparations, but rather make fun of them, and I think well to let you know this, to comply with your request for full information on the point. We look upon it here as certain that the king of France will make peace with the heretics in order to disgrace the house of Lorraine. When the Queen was going to chapel the other day, as usual in full magnificence, she was suddenly overcome with a shock of fear, which affected her to such an extent that she at once returned to her apartment, greatly to the wonder of those present. The confirmation of the alliance with Scotland is proceeding apace, and the delegates from both sides should meet at Berwick on the Border on the 18th instant. Don Antonio is desirous of having a certain book printed, which he wishes to dedicate to the queen of England. It is to be filled with arguments intended to lead the Queen to aid him with 10,000 men for the recovery of Portugal. As I have already advised, there are seven well found ships here bound for the coast of Brazil, amongst which is a barque of 60 tons belonging to Don Antonio, which is to guide them across the ocean. I have just heard that Lord Grey is to go to Holland with 10,000 men, but he is to hold them for the service of England whenever required.—London, 30th June 1586. |