PREFACE.
The documents analysed in the present volume furnish
us with a connected and detailed history of the transactions
between England and foreign nations during the year 1563.
Here, as in the previous volume, we are chiefly interested
in the progress of our intercourse with France. It will be
seen that in the beginning of the year the party of the
Royalists was in the ascendant, and had more than regained
the influence which it was supposed to have lost. The
army of the Huguenots had been defeated at Dreux, and
its leader, the Prince of Condé, was a prisoner. For a
moment Cecil paused to deliberate how he should act, but
only for a moment. Resolving to continue in the course
upon which he had already entered, he instructed Throckmorton to open negotiations with Condé's brother in arms,
the Admiral of France, who was now regarded as the leader
of the revolutionary party. In the progress of these negotiations Sir Nicholas Throckmorton displayed his usual
dexterity and address, and his despatches continue to
exhibit their wonted vivacity and powers of observation
and description. His account of the battle of Dreux will
be read with interest, being the narrative of an eyewitness and a soldier; and no less graphic is the account
which he gives us of his interview with the Duke of Guise. (fn. 1)
With regard to the whole of this series of documents
it may be affirmed that, whether we regard the history of
England or of France, they are of primary importance.
2. Thus fortified by the encouraging representations
and the advice of Throckmorton, Queen Elizabeth and the
English Council persevered in their resolution to support
Condé. Among the many inducements thus to act by
which they were influenced, none seems to have been
more cogent than the desire to recover Calais. (fn. 2) Condé,
who had begun to negotiate for peace with the French
king, was reminded by Elizabeth that in so doing he would
compromise not only his honour but his safety, and the
scruples and fears of the Admiral were removed when he
heard that England would support the common cause. (fn. 3)
The murder of the Duke of Guise by the hand of Poltrot
de Méré, (fn. 4) which occurred at this most critical moment,
threw an immense accession of strength into the hands of
the Condéans, while the Royalists felt that the loss which
they had sustained was irreparable. While the French
were paralysed by the consternation which followed this
calamity, a large English force under the Earl of Warwick,
supported by a well selected council of war, had taken
possession of Havre, and declared their intention of holding that town as a security for the restitution of Calais. (fn. 5)
3. The narrative of the siege of Havre will be read
with interest. It was invested by the French on 21 May
1563, at which time the English possessed many advantages, not the least of which was the command of the
channel, by which "the navy shall keep the seas and
victual it in spite of the enemy's beard, and put in fresh
aid at their pleasure." (fn. 6) But ere long the aspect of affairs
changed for the worse. Early in June "a strange disease"
appeared in the garrison, whereof nine died in one morning very suddenly. (fn. 7) Two days afterwards, out of 600
labourers one-half was sick and unable to serve. (fn. 8) Before
the end of the month the death-rate was sixty daily, and
of those that once fell sick few or none recovered, partly by
the disease and partly from want of fresh meat to comfort
them, which was not to be had. (fn. 9) On June 28 seventyseven died, and the weekly loss was reckoned at 500. (fn. 10)
On July 11 Warwick informs the Privy Council that the
plague increased daily, and that the garrison was now
reduced to 1,500 able men. The mortality was at the
rate of 100 daily. (fn. 11) The place, in fact, was untenable,
and although Warwick, too proud to complain, kept his
post manfully, the real condition of the town and fortress
had been made known to Cecil some weeks previously. (fn. 12)
During the whole of this period of protracted suffering to
the English, the besiegers pushed on the attack with skill
and success, and were amply supplied with provisions,
stores, and munitions of war. Our troops, on the contrary,
were deficient in all these requisites. The iron pieces sent
from the Tower were old waste pieces, unserviceable.
There was want of axletrees, stocks for cannon, wheels
and wheelers, also plates for ladles. They were short of
rods for ramrods. Many of the carpenters lately sent
were unskilful and altogether ignorant of their art. (fn. 13)
Their shot was utterly decayed. (fn. 14) Although archers would
do great service upon any sally, they had no bowstrings
nor arrows. (fn. 15) All this while the communication by sea
with England was open, and victuals might land
between the fort and the town. No wonder then
that in writing to his brother at the Court of Elizabeth
the Governor of Havre felt indignant at the neglect
under which the garrison had suffered. "Surely, brother,
there is some that shall never be able to answer their
doings, for that we have been and yet are not so well
furnished with victuals as we might have been." (fn. 16) On
July 28 Warwick agreed to surrender the town to the
French. With the correspondence which is now before
us, our wonder is that he held it so long.
During the year 1563 the affairs of Scotland attract no
great attention. Queen Elizabeth and Cecil were occupied
almost exclusively with France. Speculations were rife
as to the marriage of Queen Mary, upon whose movements
Randolph kept a watchful eye. Nothing, however, occurred
to excite uneasiness in the mind of Queen Elizabeth, or
to arouse the apprehensions of Cecil. The correspondence
with Spain is singularly uninteresting, while that with
Flanders derives its chief value from the light which it
sheds upon our commercial relations with that country.
The information connected with the smaller European
states calls for no special notice. Events, however, were,
silently preparing themselves, which in the course of a
few months changed the aspect of affairs, and transferred
the attention of the Court and Queen of England to
another quarter. Of this we shall see ample proof in the
ensuing volume.
Joseph Stevenson.
April 1869.