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| 3 April. |
13. Guzman de Silva to the King.
Everything here is quiet as usual and the Queen well. She goes
to Greenwich in four or five days.
The commissioners of religion are still proceeding against certain
Catholics, summoning them for interrogation on the subject. This
has only been resumed since the rebels in France began their
disturbances.
The party in Scotland which had risen against the Regent and
his government has increased in number. It is said that they
now demand the release of the Queen, and that justice shall be
done on certain members of the Government, who, they say, are
implicated in the murder of the King. The leader of the party is
said to be the archbishop of St. Andrews, who has fortified himself
and his friends in St. Andrews.
These folks here are not well pleased with the rising, as they
thought themselves quite safe on that side for a time, and, if affairs
in France are settled, the French might take a hand in the Scotch
business, in which case these people will have look to themselves.
The French ambassador tells me, however, that his master
will take no part in the matter out of gratitude to this Queen for
having refrained from acting against him in his late troubles, but
we all know what the French are, and how little trust can be placed
in them.
I went out to the country with the Queen this afternoon, and
took the opportunity of speaking about the two ships which I
wrote had been fitted out to capture the Count de Buren. I pointed
out to her that the heretics not only wished to make her suspicious
of your Majesty's friendship, but tried to make it appear that she
was a party to such a thing as this in order to injure her. She
was much surprised that anyone should say such a thing of her,
and thanked me for telling her of it. I can hardly believe that the
ships were fitted out with such an object, although I had it from
many good quarters. On the night of the 27th ultimo there
arrived here a servant of the prince of Orange. I was advised of
his coming but not of its object, but I was told that three days
later he passed a long time with the Queen. She informed me
to-day that she heard he was here, and that he had only come to
assure her from the Prince that he had never any intention to be
undutiful to your Majesty, and that he would never be found
guilty of such a fault, which would be unworthy of him. He
wished to place himself in some neutral country where he could
free himself from the matter, and hinted that he considered the
duke of Alba was not to be trusted, although he had no proof of
this. I replied that the true facts of the case would be seen in the
end, and that most people who have done wrong object to be tried
by those who they think will do justice. I said I thought it
would be more prudent to avoid interviews of this sort. I do not
see any signs of the Archduke's match coming off for the present.
On the contrary, I hear that those who oppose it are trying to
delay the despatch of the reply to the Emperor. They think this
will quite upset it.
A Portuguese ambassador arrived here to-day, having written
to me on the road saying that he was coming to lodge at my house
until he got a lodging of his own. I went to meet him and brought
him home. He comes about preventing the English from going
to the Portuguese Indies, and says he is determined to press the
matter, and either get them to promise not to go, or he will declare
that the Portuguese will prevent them. I fear it will all end in
words.—London, 3rd April 1568. |
| 6 April. |
14. The King to Guzman de Silva.
(Draft of letter with a note in the King's hand saying "all in
cipher.")
On the 19th March I advised you, through Don Francés,
that I had received your letter of 25th February. Yours of 16th,
21st, and 28th February arrived on the 1st instant, and, although
we are glad of your information, there is little to reply to but to
thank you for your diligence and to satisfy you upon the point introduced
to you by Cecil and the Queen, namely, the question of the
English ambassador here. The object of the complaint to you was,
without doubt, to get beforehand with us, and anticipate the complaint
I have to make of the conduct of the ambassador. You
must know that, as soon as he arrived here, I gave him notice that
he would have to conduct himself as his predecessors had done,
and must avoid any demonstration which might cause scandal.
That he must make no alteration in the old customs which have
been followed by English ambassadors here, especially in religious
matters, the more especially as in Spain the existence of the
Inquisition causes more strictness than elsewhere, and prevents me
from making concessions of any sort. The ambassador understood
this perfectly well and promised my ministers on several
occasions to act as he was requested, instead of which he has
failed to do so and has conspicuously and frequently overstepped
the bounds. One signal instance occurred shortly afterwards ;
he scoffed at one of the processions that were held for the Queen's
health when she was ill. When I learnt of this, I sent the duke
of Feria to warn him again, and request him to moderate his words
and actions so as not to transgress the limits laid down for his
conduct which he had promised to respect. He again promised to
to do so with many professions and excuses, but as he is so
corrupted at heart with these religious errors, he could not restrain
himself or stifle the promptings of his bad spirit, and has shown it
by such daring and peruicious acts, that I am convinced that it is
a planned thing, not done at his own initiative alone, but by order
from England. Amongst other things lately at a dinner in the
presence of many persons, Spaniards and others, he presumed to
say, publicly and shamelessly, that I was the only one who defended
the papal sect, but that, in the end, the prince of Condé and his
party would prevail, and that the Pope was nothing but a canting
little monk ; with other similar expressions for which he would
richly deserve the punishment the Inquisitors, who learnt of his
rashness, would give him, if it were not for respect of his office as
the minister of the queen of England, with whom I am on terms
of friendship. I have, however, made up my mind to hold no
more intercourse with him, and will not receive him or permit him
to live in my capital, but have sent him orders to go to a
neighbouring town, with a warning to conduct himself there so as
not to cause scandal to anyone, and to avoid in future such rash
words and acts as his previous ones. He has acted simply like a
perverse dogmatiser, and I have had him told that, if he does not
comply with the directions now given to him, I cannot prevent the
Inquisitors from doing their duty, and I am not without scruple
for having overlooked his actions so far as I have done. Some
days ago he received a letter from his mistress for me, and has
been pressing for an audience, but I have been delaying and putting
him off with the determination of never receiving him again. He
has had some communication with Ruy Gomez, and I learn from
him that he wants to address me on the point spoken of to you
by Cecil and the Queen. This is not a matter that it is fitting I
should discuss with him, touching, as it does, our holy catholic
faith, and he being offended at this, intends, I am told, to send a
secretary to give an account of the matter to the Queen. He will,
of course, give his own version of it, and I have therefore decided
to send this courier ahead of him, expressly in order that you may,
in accordance with the enclosed letter of credence for the Queen,
state the matter to her and tell how just and deep is the complaint
I have against the ambassador, and that I have decided to hold no
more intercourse with him, as he has so rashly and disrespectfully
exceeded an ambassador's license, and might more fittingly be
called a perturber. He has tried to persuade vassals of mine to the
rebellious and new sects which are rife in other dominions, totally
contrary to the duties and customs of an ambassador, and, if it were
not for the friendship and respect I bear to the Queen, he would
deserve anything that might be done to him, as she will learn by
the personal relation of a gentleman whom I am sending post to
her for the purpose, who will leave in a few days to complain also
of the bad and dangerous offices of this man in sowing discord
between two souls so united as those of the Queen and myself.
Only in consideration of his being her minister have I refrained
from dealing with him otherwise than I have said, namely, to
refuse further intercourse with him or permit him in my capital,
and I therefore beg of her to appoint another person who will
conduct himself as previous ambassadors of her's and her father's
have done here, men whom I can respect and treat with confidence
and kindness, as I have always done all men and matters appertaining
to her. Things have arrived at the present pass with this
man in despite of me, and I am unable to dissemble or excuse it
any longer, and I therefore beg of her to take in good part the
request I make, for the reasons which the gentleman I have
mentioned will further make known to her, and will satisfy her
both of the reasonableness of it and of the utter falsity of the
assertion that the ambassador's household was forced to hear mass.
No such thing has been done. On the contrary, I am informed
that some of the servants having entered a church without showing
due and proper respect to the holy sacrament, they were simply
told by those who were present either to behave themselves
decorously or leave. Nothing but this happened as you will see by
the depositions and investigation of this and other excesses, which
will be despatched by the gentleman who is coming. These depositions
are only for your own guidance and information, and it will be
sufficient for you to refer generally in conversation with the Queen to
the just cause I have for being offended with this man, so that she
may comply with my request and send another who will do his
duty as he ought ; in which case I will receive him well, and will
do everything in my power to please the Queen and preserve the
close and ancient alliance and friendship between us and our
respective states. You must dwell very especially upon this, with
all the fair words and arguments you can use. It occurs to us to
say to you that, when conversations are raised about religion
(unless they are directed expressly to persuade or bring to a sense
of the right the person with you) they should be avoided by you,
but when you cannot avoid hearing such conversations, as for
instance with the Queen, you should, at least, excuse yourself from
undertaking to write to me upon the subject ; although, of course,
it will be well and even necessary to do so for my own information,
without the Queen or anyone else knowing it.
With regard to the conversation the Queen had with you about
the suspicions and doubts they have aroused in her of a league
between myself and other princes to invade her country and
forward the Catholic cause there ; since you told her the truth and
gave her to understand that the assertion was a groundless one,
invented by mean and jealous people for the purpose of alarming
her, it will not be necessary for me to write you the special letter
you suggest on the subject. It is amply sufficient that you, as my
minister, have assured her of the falseness of the rumour, and you
can, if you deem necessary, repeat the denial on my behalf.
It is unnecessary, also, to say anything more about what passed
in the matter of the Prince between the Queen and you, nor need
you descend to any further details of the matter except to thank
her in my name (as I do myself in the letter) for her condolence, in
the general terms you think fit. You may at the same time thank
her for forbidding Hawkins and his companions from going to my
Indian territories. Both of these acts have been proofs of our
friendship and brotherhood, and I will always reciprocate similarly
in matters that concern her.
Scotch affairs seem getting into such a condition, particularly as
regards religion, that I cannot help feeling grief at them. You
will continue to keep me informed of events there, especially
about the Queen's imprisonment and the result of the accusation
against her.
This courier will go in a smack, with orders for her to await in
port to take him back again, and you will therefore despatch him
as soon as possible, with advices to me as to what passes with the
Queen, and the decision you arrive at with her about the ambassador.
You will also inform the duke of Alba, as you will see
how important it is that he should know. You will likewise
communicate to me what you hear from him and any news about
affairs in Flanders and France, as I wish to hear often from all
quarters. As the earl of Sussex has arrived, it will be well, too,
for you to let me know whether any result of importance on the
marriage question has been attained by his journey. I still believe
that it is all artifice to entertain her subjects, as you have very
cogently said on various occasions.
With regard to your request that I should remove you from
England (although I am very satisfied with you), the reasons you
allege are of such weight and importance that I will give to the
matter due consideration, having regard to your labours and
services, and will advise you as to my decision.—Madrid 6th April,
1568. |
| 10 April. |
15. Guzman de Silva to the King.
Things here are quiet as usual and the Queen went to Greenwich
on the 6th. As I accompanied her in the country on that day,
Lord Robert made me a long speech to the effect that, in your
Majesty's interest and for the welfare of your Flanders dominions,
it was advisable to adopt some lenient and peaceful course with
regard to religion and the punishment of those who have misbehaved
themselves in the States. He instanced the course taken
in France, and how the King had come out of the affair there.
He pointed out how strong the new religion was in Germany and
the States, and said that even in some parts of Spain things are
not quite so assured as is thought ; nor in Italy either, especially
near Rome. He spoke, he said, as a,servant of your Majesty, and he
desired your peace and prosperity, although he knew his words would
be of little avail as he was a Protestant. I thanked him much for
his good will, giving him to understand that he was mistaken about
Spain, as also, I thought, about the rest of your Majesty's dominions ;
and said that if there had been any backsliding in Flanders, it would
be remedied in a way that would scour it out completely, as the
duke of Alba had got the matter in hand. Ever since the French disturbances
they have been molesting Catholics here in various ways,
pressing or relaxing, however, according to the news received from
France.
Three of those whom I wrote they had arrested in the duchy of
Lancaster for refusing to attend their services have been brought
here, and amongst them a gentleman of position called John Southwell
(Suduel), who, with the others, after the Council had examined
them, was sent to the common jail. On the same day, the 7th
instant, they arrested on religious grounds three lawyers of standing,
called respectively Dr. More (?), Dr. Mitchel, and Dr. Windham, and
they have also taken two ladies, lady Brown and lady Cave (?). It
is reported from Berwick that the Queen of Scots wishes to marry
a gentleman named Lord Moffat, who is connected with the Stuart
family, and the matter has been discussed with great secrecy between
the Regent and his closest friends ; the idea being that, as the
gentleman belongs to his family and is connected with him by blood
and friendship, such a marriage would add to the Regent's strength
and satisfy the Queen at the same time, and that if she marries a
person of her own lineage and an enemy of the Hamiltons, more
liberty might be given her. The Regent will retain power as
hitherto, and hopes by this means to reconcile factions, satisfy the
Queen, and strengthen himself. He has many enemies and must
keep a good look out. He has news from France that Cardinal
Lorraine is procuring 1,200 harquebussiers to be placed in Dumbarton.
The Portuguese ambassador, whose arrival here on the
3rd I advised, has not yet seen the Queen. He is in no haste and
is preparing for the interview. He has communicated to me his
business, which is principally to request the Queen to forbid her
subjects from interfering with the Portuguese Indies, especially
Guinea, although they will consent to the English going to buy
blacks at the places where the Portuguese sell them. He is also to
ask for restitution of 600,000 ducats that he says English pirates have
taken from the subjects of his King. I think he will have quite
enough to do to get either of these things granted, but he says he
will press very urgently the question of going to the Indies, and he
means to put it in such a way that, if they do not grant his request,
he will break with the Queen. I do not know what he will do, but I
cannot believe this. It appears that he will be satisfied if the English
who go thither do not go with the Queen's permission or in her ships,
so that if the Portuguese fleet for the defence of the coast meet
them, it may punish them as it punishes the French.
A gentleman from the King of France arrived here to-day to
give an account to the Queen of the treaty of peace between him
and the rebels. He has audience to-morrow.—London, 10th April
1568. |
| 19 April. |
16. Guzman de Silva to the King.
The night before last I received your Majesty's letter of 19th
ultimo. Thank God your Majesty still enjoyed the health that is so
important to Christendom and your servants! It is necessary that
this good news should be reiterated on every opportunity to
counteract the inventions of the ungodly, who can only produce
according to their kind, and nearly every week set afloat a thousand
wicked stories. The decree issued by your Majesty promising a
good reception and freedom to those who convey bread stuffs to
Biscay and Asturias is very wise, and, no doubt, will easily result
in the supply of the much needed food for those countries. I
understand that from various parts of England bread stuffs are
already being sent by persons who have special license, and by
gentlemen who do not need licenses from their own ports, and they
will doubtless find it to their interests to continue to export. For
this reason, and seeing the difficulties that usually are raised here
when a general free export is requested, by reason of the wickedness
of those who contrive means of putting up prices, which causes
discontent amongst the common people and compels the Queen to
withdraw the licenses to calm the clamour, I think best to hold
my hand for the present and consult people well versed in the
matter. A few days delay ,will not prejudice the business, and I
shall then be able to address the Queen on the matter if desirable.
As an instance of what I say : in 1566 I asked the Queen for the
export of breadstuffs for certain ports in Flanders where scarcity
existed, and greed then reached such a pitch that her own ministers
bought up the supplies, which they sold to the exporters for their
own profit. The outcry of the people was so great that, not only
was the export prevented, but great prohibitions were decreed ;
whereas, if the matter had not been mentioned at all, the food
would have been sent somehow, as usual, and as it is even now
being sent to Biscay. The Queen is ill in bed with a great excess
of bile, which I myself have been troubled with these two years
past by reason of the climate. I will have your Majesty's decree
made known amongst the merchants here, and their greed may,
perhaps, prompt them to send grain as desired.
Secretary Cecil has told me that the King of France's gentleman
who came hither is going on to Scotland, whereat, I think, they
are not at all pleased, but rather suspicious. If what I wrote in my
last about the projected marriage and extended liberty of the Queen
of Scots be true, these people will feel it strongly, as they thought
themselves quite safe from that side ; but if she is to be married, it
would not be altogether amiss for them that she should marry Moffat,
as he is on the side of the Stuarts against the Hamiltons and the
French.
I have not heard the peace made in France well spoken of
here. These people have strange fancies and talk like men
who have never left home. Some people wished the rebels to
beat the King because of the heresy, and others that the war
should continue, whilst they remained on the look-out to seize any
advantage that the discord might afford them.
The Earl of Sussex has sent to tell me that about five days ago
the Queen had a very long conversation with him respecting the
marriage with the Archduke, but only generalities and nothing
decided. I think she must be as false in this matter with the
Earl as she is with others.
On the 14th I accompanied the Portuguese ambassador to court.
He was well attended, and we went up to the presence chamber
without anyone having come out to meet him, although the day
and hour of his reception were fixed. After we arrived in the antechamber,
some courtiers and gentlemen came to speak to me,
amongst them the lord-chamberlain. I made them speak to the
Ambassador, which they did, but sourly. I got the lord-chamberlain
to entertain him until he was summoned, and they remained
thus standing for a long while, I being seated as I am ailing. After
the ambassador had waited for about an hour he was introduced
to the Queen's chamber, where she received him, and, after a few
words from him in his King's name, the Queen, with an angry look,
complained greatly of the Cardinal, (fn. 1) who, she said, had written her
a letter by an ambassador sent by her to the king containing discourteous
expressions which were unfit to be addressed to her. She
turned to me and said she wished I could see the letter and I should
agree with her that it had been written by bishop of Osorio, whose
style she recognised from having read certain writings of his about
religion, which had been answered by a servant of hers named
Dr. Haddon, to whom the Bishop had again replied. The words
the Queen mentioned as being in the letter alluded to her as a
tyrant. The Ambassador replied that he could not believe it until
he saw it, and I said I agreed with him, as a Portuguese was never
yet discourteous to a lady ; and the conversation being thus turned
into a lighter vein, I asked permission to be seated in consideration
of my weakness. Cecil and Leicester presently came up to me and
expressed their regret at such a letter being written. Secretary
Cecil showed me the letter, and I took it to the ambassador tha
he might see what it contained. I think it might well have
been expressed in a different way and somewhat more modestly,
although the writer had sacrificed some of the grace of his Latin in
doing it. I enclose copy of it. Cecil said that the presumption of
the Portuguese was insufferable, and made them hated by all
nations. Both he and Leicester treated the subject in such a way
that I told them that I had no answer to give them, as your Majesty,
although you honoured your relatives, was very faithful to your
friends, and so the conversation ended. I asked them, for the love
I bore them, to treat the ambassador graciously, as courtesy honoured
the giver, and presently the Queen called me to her again and the
rest of the time passed pleasantly. The Queen having recovered
her temper, the ambassador told her she greatly resembled the
Infanta Dona Maria. (fn. 2) This ended the first interview, business not
having been spoken of. The lord-chamberlain accompanied the
ambassador to the door of the presence chamber. The ambassador
is a sensible man. He is hurt at their treatment of him, as well he
may be, but they are strange people to have to do with. We shall
see by their future dealing with the business whether this display
has been a feint in order, as they think, to prevent him from carrying
his complaints of them with so high a hand, but I do not regard it
in that light myself.—London, 19th April 1568. |
| 24 April. |
17. Guzman de Silva to the King.
The Queen is at Greenwich in good health, and affairs are all
quiet and calm, without thought of trouble, as are also things in
Ireland.
The gentleman from the King of France, who came to give an
account of the peace with the rebels, has already started for
Scotland. They were suspicious of his going, and intimated as
much to the ambassador, who had to tell him that if they considered
it inconvenient he would send him back. Seeing that
they gave him no answer for two or three days he sent to ask
audience of the Queen for the purpose of discussing the gentleman's
return to France. They then gave him his passport for Scotland.
I asked the ambassador if the gentleman would see the Queen
herself or deal with the Regent. He answered that, if he could
get to speak with the Queen he would negotiate with her, but if
not, he would deal with the others. He said he bore private
instructions from Cardinal Lorraine, which he had seen, to urge her
to endure her troubles with patience, and await until God put
your Majesty's affairs in a prosperous state, for he knew that aid
could come from no other quarter. I passed this over, pretending
that I took no notice of what he was saying, as I think that it is a
new move of the French to ingratiate themselves here by raising
suspicions of your Majesty.
Hearty thanks have been given to this Queen from their Christian
Majestys for her neutrality and expressed sympathy with them
during the late disturbances, and the ambassador asked in the
names of his sovereigns what she would like them to send her
from France, as they wished to make her a present to her taste.
In mine of the 10th I wrote to your Majesty that advices from
Berwick of the 1st said that the Queen of Scots wished to marry
Lord Moffat, and that her brother the Regent had secretly discussed
the matter with his intimate friends. By the same route
news now comes that the Queen has told her brother that she wishes
to marry, and on his asking her whom she desired to wed she
answered the nephew of the gentleman who has her in keeping, a
certain George Douglas ; to which the Regent replied that he did
not consider him a fit person for her husband, and he thought
it would be better if she married Lord Moffat, as he belongs to the
house of Stuart, and it was believed the Queen would do this. It
is asserted that, on the 14th instant, the Queen exchanged apparel
with her laundress, the latter remaining in the Queen's room
whilst she left the castle and entered a boat with the intention of
escaping from prison. The boatmen requested her to unveil, that
they might see who she was, and she, whilst resisting them,
uncovered one of her hands, which made them press her the more,
until they unveiled her. She showed great spirit, and commanded
them, with threats for their lives, to take her across to the opposite
shore, where two men and three horses were awaiting her. They
refused and took her back, although they promised they would not
inform the keeper. The Portuguese ambassador had his second
interview with the Queen to-day, when his business was discussed.
He asked me to send my secretary with him, which I did, and he
was also accompanied by Antonio de Guaras, Juan Baptista de San
Vitores, and two other subjects of your Majesty. He was met by
order of the Queen some distance outside the palace gates by Henry
Cobham (who went to Germany with the earl of Sussex), a brother
of his, and another gentleman of the chamber named Kyngesmyll.
They led him to the presence chamber, where they entertained him
until the lord chamberlain came out and took him to the Queen.
As soon as he had entered, Secretary Cecil came out and called
Baptista de San Vitores and afterwards Antonio de Guaras, and in
the presence of the earl of Bedford said to them, "Since you are
helping the Portuguese ambassador, you will inform him that it
is the Queen's will that no one should attend mass in his house,
except his own servants and dependents, and that, if any other
persons do so, they will be severely punished." Antonio de
Guaras retorted that surely foreigners might attend, to which the
Secretary replied that they could not, and then entered the Queen's
room, where the ambassador remained for over an hour. When
he took his leave the lord chamberlain accompanied him outside
the presence chamber, where he was taken charge of by the same
gentlemen that received him, who went with him to the boat. The
ambassador sent word to me that he would come and give me an
account of what had passed with the Queen.—London, 24th April
1568. |