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419. Philip to the English Privy Council |
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Brussels, 6 April |
I need say nothing in reply to the letter I received from you a few days ago, as I have written in full on the subject to Count Feria and you will hear it all from him. You are proceeding in these matters with your customary prudence, as is necessary for the welfare and repose of the kingdom of England. I now write in order to remind you that if it is possible to negotiate with the Hanseatic Towns without the interests of the kingdom in any way suffering, it will be advisable to do so, keeping me fully informed in order that I may consider
the matter in conjunction with the report I am expecting from the person I sent to those Towns, and frame my policy accordingly. |
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Copy. Latin. |
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Simancas, E.811. |
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Printed by Kervyn de Lettenhove, Relations Politiques, Vol. I. |
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420. Philip to Count Feria |
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Brussels, 6 April |
I have received your letters of 10, 21 and 30 March, and am glad to learn of the efforts you have made to induce the Queen and Council to raise money and find necessary supplies. Thomas Gresham has arrived here, and in order that he may carry out his instructions to the best purpose, I have ordered the Treasurer of these States to confer with him and assist him in every way possible. |
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The colonel who is to raise the 3,000 Germans for England will be here within 3 or 4 days, and we will endeavour to see to it that he does what is expected of him at the least possible cost. |
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I have seen the orders brought by Stephen Vahan about the hulks and have ordered Care, who is the councillor in charge of naval affairs here, to supply him with what he wants at the price I would have to pay myself in these countries. This is all I can do. |
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The man whom I sent to the Hanseatic Towns is expected from day to day and with great impatience, so that we may decide what to do to frustrate the French plans, which it is said are being very vigorously pushed. We will immediately inform the Queen of what he reports and also the Council, who have written to me on the subject, and whom I am answering in a letter a copy of which is being enclosed with this letter. I tell them that if they can reach an agreement (with the Hanseatic Towns) they are to let us know, for it would be highly advisable that I should be informed as quickly as possible in order that I may consider it in connexion with the report to be made by the person I have sent to those Towns with a view to negotiations with any emissaries the Towns may send here. You will speak to the Queen and Council about this, as you may think most suitable, asking them to consider the matter and send me a clear and definite reply. |
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We have seen the memoranda given you by the Council about the ship and arms detained in Zealand. I have issued orders that the ship is to be released at once or the reason for its detention immediately reported to me, so that I may take suitable action. |
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Nothing need be said about the artilleryman whom the Duke of Savoy had arrested, for he has been handed over to the English. |
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We have had another letter written to Dunkirk about the ships to be held in readiness there for the Channel crossing. |
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We were glad to hear what you had done with regard to a staple to be set up for wool and other goods which are exported from England to these countries, in accordance with our instructions, and that they assured you they would take no action without having informed us and ascertained our pleasure. You will keep them up to this. |
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We have seen the report on the proceedings of Parliament, and the list of members of the Council sent to the counties. This was a wise step, in order that those who remain may transact business more efficiently. |
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Signed: Yo el Rey; Spanish. |
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Simancas, E.811. |
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Printed by Kervyn de Lettenhove, Relations Politiques, Vol. I. |
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421. Count Feria to Philip |
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Greenwich, 6 April |
I wrote to your Majesty on 10, 17, 22 and 30 March, but since Kemp arrived here on 20 March we have seen no letter from your Majesty, although there have been letters from Court dated 27 and 28 March, reporting that your Majesty was well; God be thanked! The Queen has been somewhat reassured by these news. She has told me to write by this courier and tell your Majesty that she is not writing, because she is waiting for a reply by Francisco and also because she is very much taken up with Holy Week ceremonies. |
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This courier is being sent by the Privy Council. They tell me they are writing to your Majesty, and I understand that their chief object in sending him is to have Gresham hand over certain obligations of the Queen and of the merchants of London in connexion with the money he was to have brought back. He has written that he is not getting on well and has not succeeded in raising more than £10,000. I do not know how this can be possible. At the beginning, Paget and the rest of them told me that everything was settled for £100,000 to be lent by the merchants, as I wrote to your Majesty. Everything was understood between them and myself, and I supposed that Gresham would go straight to your Majesty and the business would be concluded. He took a letter from the Council to you, and although he did not take one from the Queen, she told him, when he left, that as he was going straight to you he had her orders. Now, it does not appear from what he writes that he has been to Brussels at all. He deserves that your Majesty have him punished, and I have told the Queen so and asked the Council to write to him at once. I think it would be well for your Majesty to send for him immediately, if he has not yet arrived at Court, and tell him plainly what he is to do. It makes a bad impression on me that he should not have gone there and that he should write that he cannot raise more than £10,000, after all that has happened and I have reported to your Majesty. |
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There are frequent complaints here about the prejudice caused to England by the amity existing between the Scots and the subjects of the Low Countries. The Queen and the whole of this kingdom would like your Majesty to take this matter in hand, and consider that the only adequate step would be to break off relations. It seems to me that they are right about this and the safe-conducts; your Majesty will decide for the best. |
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They ask me every day whether vessels have been sent to Dunkirk, as your Majesty has been requested to do. The Queen herself insists particularly on this point, wherefore I trust your Majesty will have taken necessary measures. |
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Holograph. Spanish
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Simancas, E.811. |
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Printed by Kervyn de Lettenhove, Relations Politiques, Vol. I. |
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422. “Memorandum on the cost of the men on board the Queen's ships, each month” |
| 6 April |
The cost of 14,000 men: sailors, gunners and soldiers, serving at sea. The General or Admiral, when he is at sea, receives £3 6s. daily, and the Vice-Admiral 30s a day. |
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Rations for the sailors, gunners and soldiers: each man receives every day: one pound of biscuit, two pots of beer and two pounds of beef; and on fish-days: every four men at each meal receive one pound of cheese and half a salt cod or half a pound of butter and half a salt cod; or, if there is no cod, the same quantity of some other fish. Besides this, each man receives 4d. a month
pocket-money. This does not include the ships, barrels, coopers and the wages of the victuallers, which expenses amount to 12s. a month for each man. |
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Pay of the sailors for one month: |
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Each captain receives 1s. 6d. a day; and if he is noble or a person of authority, he receives 4s. a day. |
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The master of each ship |
31s.
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8d.
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per mensem
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The master's sailor and each quarter-master |
11s.
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8d.
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” ” |
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Each sailor |
9s.
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2d.
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” ” |
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Each pilot |
16s.
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8d.
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” ” |
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Quarter-master of a great ship |
11s.
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8d.
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” ” |
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and his sailor |
9s.
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2d.
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” ” |
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Quarter-master of a lesser ship |
9s.
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2d.
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” ” |
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Each carpenter of a great ship |
16s.
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8d.
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” ” |
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and his sailor |
11s.
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8d.
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” ” |
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Each carpenter on the lesser ships |
11s.
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8d.
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” ” |
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and his sailor |
9s.
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2d.
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” ” |
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Each maître d'hôtel and cook |
11s.
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8d.
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” ” |
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each one of their sailors |
9s.
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2d.
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” ” |
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Each purser |
11s.
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8d.
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” ” |
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Each master-gunner |
10s.
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0d.
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” ” |
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and his sailor and quarter-master |
7s.
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6d.
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” ” |
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Each mariner and gunner who is not an officer |
6s.
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8d.
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” ” |
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Each trumpeter |
15s.
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od.
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” ” |
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Each drummer |
10s.
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od.
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” ” |
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Each surgeon |
15s.
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od.
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” ” |
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Thus each man will cost her Majesty 20s.a month, without the table-expenses of the captains, which are not mentioned here. |
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Thus it appears that the pay of 14,000 men at an average rate of 8s.a month amounts to £5,600. |
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And food for these 14,000 men at 12s.a month amounts to £8,400. |
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This does not include tonnage for the 16,500 tons of the ships fitted out for war or charges for the victuallers employed by her Majesty at a rate of 12d. each ton a month, which makes £836. Moreover, the tonnage of her Majesty's own ships is not included here. |
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The sum total of these expenses for 14,000 men, for pay and food, is £14,000 a month, and for tonnage £836 a month. |
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French. |
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Simancas, E.811. |
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423. The Bishop of Arras to Count Feria (Extracts) |
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Brussels, 7 April |
I have received your Lordship's letter in answer to mine. The way you proceeded was far better, in the circumstances, than what you might have understood from the papers of which I sent you a copy. Parliament has voted a good grant, and their preparations by sea seem satisfactory, provided they make proper use of them. Only, one would like to see more spirit, more resentment about Calais, and more memory of the ancient virtues of their forbears. We will do all we can here to help those who have come to raise money, to find hulks and for other purposes. His Majesty is determined to do his utmost. Some German horse are already being raised, and steps are being taken to retain others on Wartgeld
(i.e. retaining pay) until June. Thus things are being got ready so that no time may be lost when money is available. . . . . |
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His Majesty has instructed me to write you about the English sappers he would like to raise, besides the Bohemian ones, for he is not certain that the latter will be able to come. His Majesty wishes to find up to 1,000 English sappers, provided that they do better than those sent last year, who behaved very slackly, as you know. We do not know whether the fault lay in those who led and did not wish or dare to command them, or whether they had been badly chosen. Other summers, we have had as many as 400 here serving under Captain Pero Andrés who did wonders, their captain always showing them the way. His Majesty would like you to see to the choice of those who are to bring them over, and negotiate with them in consultation with the Queen and Council, so that the matter may be concluded as soon as possible. A man will soon start to deal with the money question, and we wish he were already on his way, so great is the need. To tell your Lordship the whole truth, the reason why we want to have foreign sappers is to see whether they will be as good as those who were led by Pero Andrés and at least. . . . . (a line cut off by the binder). Your Lordship might report on this by post. M. de Glajon will see to his part. Letters patent will be sent to those whom you choose, and Glajon will write to you further about it, and would have done so already if he had had anyone to write in Spanish for him. Therefore he has asked me to do this. . . . . |
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Draft or copy. Spanish. |
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Madrid B.P., Col. Granvela. |
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424. Philip to Count Feria |
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Brussels, 16 April |
Captain Juan Estrond, who will present this letter to you, is going to England by my orders to bring hither 1,000 men who are expert in digging and preparing mines. I am writing to the Queen to favour him, because his errand is important for my service, but I charge you also to speak to her about it, and to tell her how pleased I shall be if everything is done to enable the said captain to return hither speedily with his men. |
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P.S. in Philip's hand: This is necessary for this summer, and also the sappers. You will inform me of what is being done about both questions. |
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Signed:Yo el Rey. Spanish. |
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Simancas, E.811. |
