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| 2 April. |
90. Guerau De Spes to the King.
I have given advice of all that has happened here as best I
could, writing mostly by way of the Captain of Calais without any
superscripture or other due form, so that the letters which I sent
to the duke of Alba might be forwarded to your Majesty. An
Asturian sailor, also, called Pedro de Rugala, who had his boat at
the extreme point of England, offered to take a despatch which I
gave him on the 12th ultimo. In future, I shall not be able to
write so much, in consequence of the strict orders given to prevent
any letters leaving the country, unless they pass through Cecil's
hands. The impudence of these people has reached such a pitch
that the Queen's ships publicly attacked a flotilla of sloops on their
way from Spain three days ago and captured seven of them, which
they took into the port of Hull. These people are well prepared,
although they are downcast at the news of Condé's rout. (fn. 1) I have
already advised how the duke of Norfolk and the earl of Arundel
wish to serve your Majesty. They have many friends and
adherents in this country, and, when they hear that your Majesty
will accept their goodwill, they will declare themselves more
openly at a convenient opportunity. The duke of Alba, on due
consideration, has written, ordering me to entertain and caress
them on your Majesty's behalf, and said he expected shortly your
Majesty's own decision as to what was to be done. Secretary
Cecil pretends to be ill, so that the Councils are held in his house.
He and five or six others are getting very rich with robbery of
your Majesty's subjects, and they think that, even though no war
may break out, they will still be able to keep what they have
stolen. They capture all the boats loaded with wine and salt they
come across, and say that they will pay for them but never do so.
On the 28th ultimo, the Queen ordered a muster of her pensioners
and their servants, who turned out to the number of 200 horse, not
very good. The muster was in the park of the palace, and the
Queen was present with Cardinal Chatillon and the earl of
Leicester. She was very free and joked much with everybody.
The other musters of infantry have been postponed, and they have
suspended the preparations on the fleet which they were fitting out
for Rochelle. Captain William Rivers (fn. 2) (Winter?) is to go in command.
The ships for Hamburg are already loaded, and, on the return of a
pink which they have sent thither, they say they will sail with
four of the Queen's ships in their company, as well as two Venetian
vessels which are fitting out in Norwich. There are three
Easterlings who they say they are going to fit out four more, but they
have great lack of sailors. Captain Jones, with four ships of the
fleet, it is said, will sail shortly for the Azores. Hawkins is
reported to have brought back twenty-eight thousand dollars in
gold, and a box of pearls. Some silver was also brought in a ship of
his which was thought to be lost, but which has arrived in Ireland
and has on board, as a prisoner, a gentleman of Alava called Don
Juan de Mendoza, son of Señor de Mariota y Mendoza. He was in
one of the islands of the Indies, and, out of friendship for the
English, had them supplied with water and victuals. Going on
board one of their ships, they sailed away with him in payment for
his simplicity. He is now in Ireland and thinks Hawkins will
liberate him, in which I believe he is mistaken, as they are guarding
the prisoners here very closely, besides which, many of the Spaniards
are very badly treated and kept in chains. The money from
Southampton was brought here on the 26th ultimo, and has been
weighed and put up like the rest without any discharge yet having
been given to those who brought it. They showed Lope de la
Sierra everything in the Tower, but he saw nothing of the money
they had brought from the west. It is therefore suspected that
they have melted all or part of it, as they are coining money with
frantic haste, which is unusual with them. The Secretary of Lord
James has arrived here, and the Councillors now publicly state
that James and the duke of Chatelherault have agreed that
the former shall remain at the head of the Government and the
latter be declared the successor of the prince. The Parliament is to
be called together for this purpose. I doubt the truth of this,
because not a day passes without some new tale being made up to
comfort the people ; just as, recently, they cried up the rising of the
Moriscos of Granada, as if it were some great thing. This Cardinal
Chatillon goes so far as to say now, that if the news of Condé's death
be true, which they do not yet believe, he will go to sea as captain
of all the corsairs, although if the intention of his doing so is to
commit more robberies, I do not see how that is possible. Many
Catholics write letters secretly to me saying that the moment they
see your Majesty's standards raised in this country they will all
rise to serve you, and it is certain that if your Majesty commands
measures to be taken for the conversion of the kingdom and the
punishment of these insolent heretics and barefaced thieves, I do
not think it will be difficult to bring them to subjection, or, at least,
to change the Government and religion. If, on the other hand, the
matter is passed over, in addition to other great evils, Flanders will
be in continual unrest. Your Majesty will have it all considered
and will decide for the best. I am still in durance but not so
horribly closely kept as before. It looks as if they were trying to
make it up with me somewhat, but as regards any principal points,
I will do nothing until I receive orders from your Majesty or the
Duke. In the meanwhile, I am sending complaints of the assaults
and robberies, although I do not hear of all of them. Some of these
people are under the impression that they will get great concessions
from your Majesty, and amongst others, that, if the English are
friendly, they will be exempt from the power of the Inquisition
whilst in your Majesty's dominions. As soon as these gentlemen
who guard me come with their hints of this, I tell them that in your
Majesty's dominions a heretic, whoever he may be, will be punished,
and they need not think that we change our religion there as they
do here.—London, 2nd April 1569.
Postscript :—I have heard that Peter Wolschart, the agent of the
King of Poland in Madrid for a long time past, reports to a brother
or kinsman of his, who came hither with John Man and remains
here, all that passes. As they correspond in Polish, their secrets
are very safe. He is a well-known man. (fn. 3)
They have raised the embargo from the goods of all Flemings
here who have declared themselves of the Anglican faith ; I mean
the merchants who were here at the time of the Queen's proclamation.
Many of them have therefore joined the Church and go to the
meetings of the Flemish refugees, who have separate ministers, as
have also the French refugees. There is one minister here, the son
of a Spaniard, born in Holland, who was a friar in Spain and fled
from the Inquisition, against which he has written a blasphemous
book which is current here in three modern languages. He
afterwards went into Bridewell to preach to the Biscayners, although
some of them told him that he had better go to Calahorra (fn. 4) to preach
such stuff as that. He gave them a "Christian doctrine" in
Spanish, composed, it is stated on it, by Dr. Juan Perez. It is
printed here, although it bears the imprint of Venice and is very
artfully written to conceal the heresy. I am told that many copies
of these books have been sent to Seville. (fn. 5) I have had him (the
minister) brought away from Bridewell by main force. He preached
that he disapproved of the robberies that were being committed,
and Cecil has ordered him not to preach again without a fresh
license, saying that he had been informed that he was an Arryan.
Robert Etienne's (fn. 6) little book in French is also current here, printed
at Antwerp in the year '67. It is terribly blasphemous against the
holy sacrament and all the articles of the Catholic faith, with a
curious device of writing certain discourses about Herodotus.
The other night some heretics handed it in at my door and it was
presented to me. I at once had it burnt, and it would be well to
have it served in the same way in Flanders and wherever else it
may be found. I have just been informed that in agreement with
the Queen, Cardinal Chatillon has requested to be allowed to go
with the fleet to Rochelle, where he would help her against the
common enemy. The Queen answered that she could not allow
him to go against the King her brother. They at once let the
French Ambassador know of this, and they think they can deceive
both sides with such tricks as these.—London, 2nd April 1569.
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2 April.
French. |
91. The Duke of Alba to the King.
My letters of the 11th, and enclosures will have informed your
Majesty of the state of affairs in England and the issue of Councillor
D'Assonleville's mission, which was that the Queen had finally
declared that, for the present, she would not grant or refuse the
restitution of the money which she had arrested until the questions
pending between your Majesty and her, in Spain and elsewhere,
have been considered and arranged. She was determined that
this should only be done with envoys bearing your Majesty's power,
and refused audience to D'Assonleville. I thereupon instructed
D'Assonleville to report to me in cypher the circumstances and
manner in which everything had occurred, in order the better to
understand the Queen's designs and enable us to consider maturely
the whole matter, and advise your Majesty, The roads both ways
being, however, so insecure, D'Assonleville had left before my letters
arrived. He gave me verbally an account of his reasons for leaving
and made a statement to the Council here, which he afterwards
handed me in writing and which I now enclose.
We have commenced the discussion of the whole matter in order
to grasp it thoroughly, but as we have received news of Condé's
defeat, which appears very important, we defer the decision of the
English business until we learn whether it is true or not.—Brussels,
2nd April 1569.
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| 4 April. |
92. The Duke Of Alba to the King.
[Extract.]
As regards English affairs, I beg your Majesty will read the
despatch in French, D'Assonleville's report, and the decision arrived
at by the Council and myself. It is all as full as I can make it, and
notwithstanding what Don Guerau writes, I am not yet convinced
that they are not deceiving him. I thank your Majesty very
humbly for the confidence you place in me, and whenever I see that
an opportunity of serving you may be missed by waiting to consult
you, I will presume to act as you order. I will not otherwise dare
to break with anybody, as I fully recognize that your Majesty's
confidence in me is greater than my parts deserve, and I will not
trust arrogantly to my own judgment. I have thought well not to
send to Don Guerau the statement of what passed between Don
Martin Enriquez and Captain Hawkins until they broach the
subject in England.—Brussels, 4th April 1569.
Note in the handwriting of the King : "Tiznach has sent me a
packet, which is no doubt this, but I have not been able to open it
yet." |
| 23 April. |
93. Guerau De Spes to the King.
On the 14th instant I wrote your Majesty a long letter by way
of Flanders, with a copy of a letter from the queen of Scotland, and
of the agreement which is under discussion between the people of
her country. I also send note of the ships which up to that date
had been detained in this country, and the correspondence between
the Council and myself respecting the robbery and piracies committed
by the Queen's own ships. In order not to make this letter
too bulky, I am not sending any further statement herewith. I
have informed your Majesty that I had sent a letter to the queen
of Scotland and I am still awaiting the reply. It is impossible to
treat with this queen of England for the present, since the duke
of Alba has forbidden trade with this country and given license to
carry arms. The Queen at once obtained a copy of the duke's
placard and Cecil wished to reply to it by another, which, I am told,
was drawn up in very arrogant terms. In answer to the duke's
assertion that the Queen's proceedings were against the will of the
greater part of the nobles, Cecil wished to make not only the
Councillors but all the principal people in the country sign approval
of them. The duke of Norfolk and earl of Brauges (fn. 7) (Arundel?)
refused to go to the Council, although many embassies were sent to
them from Cecil. In the end, however, the Queen is satisfied with
leaving the placard unanswered. The duke and the earl say that,
in a very short time, they will make the Queen do as she ought to
do, and will change the Government, restoring the property that
has been stolen. It will certainly not be difficult for them, seeing
how unpopular the present Government is ; but as they act in the
usual cautious English fashion with one another, they will not
declare themselves frankly, and the affair drags more slowly than
it would elsewhere. They (Norfolk and Arundel) have sent to
me to day asking me to send to the Council by a special messenger
when the duke is there all the points proposed to me by Bernard
Hampton on the 19th, and to which I gave him my answer at the
time, as the Duke knows nothing of Bernard Hampton's coming,
and it was all managed by Cecil, Leicester, and the Admiral. I will
do this, as a means by which they may begin to fall out amongst
themselves. All the replies that Bernard Hampton gave me were
illusory. He said that all the goods detained were well guarded,
which is untrue, that the 13 sloops brought into the port of Plymouth
by the new ship were not brought in by order of the Queen,
although her standard was flown. The five sloops that-were handed
over to the French, also, he said, had not been delivered by her
order. He wished to make out that the queen of England was
sovereign of the sea with supreme dominion, and I told him that
this element was a very inconstant one for the Queen to wish to
rule over. I also justified the proceedings of the duke of Alba, and
smoothed over John Man's affair which they only use now as an
excuse for my detention. I also touched upon their complaints
respecting the action of the Inquisition in Spain towards Englishmen,
and gave him a general answer on all points, in the presence of
Captain William Winter, and he did not dare to give me a written
reply in order to prevent me from retorting in like manner. As,
however, the Duke and the Earl wish me to present these matters
point by point in writing, I will do so, and will send copy of my
statement to your Majesty. The Hamburg fleet will be ready to
sail in four or five days, well fitted and valuable, as your Majesty
will see by the memorial I send. To take this fleet would be to
take all England, and even the detention of it would be giving a
grand spur to the action that these gentlemen here wish to take in
your Majesty's service. News has been received here that Holland
is arming, and, if the fleet is ready and strong, the departure of the
Hamburg ships may perhaps be stayed. They have pilots from
Hamburg here already. The French ambassador has promised
Roberto Ridolfi that the king of France will issue a similar placard
to that of the duke. I think, certainly, that if the Queen does not
change her government voluntarily, there will be a rising here
within a month, especially if any ill should befall these fleets for
Hamburg or Rochelle, or if these people were distressed by our
taking their ships as they do those of others. If any disturbance
arises here, either by the action of these gentlemen or otherwise, the
government can be overthrown, and if the matter is taken up
vigorously the country may be mastered, or, at least, may be brought
to what is desired. The Queen is abandoned by many, and hardly
anyone really likes her. The Council only looks after its private
ends. She is so poor that these gentlemen tell me that she had
not 30,000 ducats before these seizures. Alleyn (?), a servant of
Cecil, who, although he is not a Catholic, sometimes gives me private
information, says that even if they do not keep this money, they
wish to help the arming of the French and Flemish rebels, and have
adopted the device of arming the followers of Cardinal Chatillon
and the prince of Condé, together with those of three or four
Englishmen, sometimes bearing the Queen's standard and sometimes
that of Condé. With these they will plunder all the ships that
come to this country, and they had already taken more than
200,000 ducats before these detentions began, nearly all from
subjects of your Majesty. On the top of this came the windfall of
the money, and Benedict Spinola tells me that the reason Cecil
gave for taking it was that the Queen had no credit in Antwerp
or Frankfort to enable her to aid her friends. They thought that
affairs in Flanders would not go so well for us as they have done,
and that your Majesty would dissemble with them and let them
enjoy the money on their promising simply to pay interest. They
imagine, no doubt, also, that these robberies would be treated as
those of seven or eight years ago were treated, for which they have
never yet been called to account. The rigorous action of the Duke
in embargoing all their goods in Flanders has grieved them much,
as they had expected, for the reasons I have mentioned, that things
would have been allowed to drift without an open rupture, and that
they might, with their usual deceptions, continue to help the rebels.
With regard to the other points upon which your Majesty instructs
me, especially as to Montague's brother-in-law and the caution
necessary for similar negotiations with him or others, I will take
great care, and must leave for my next letter further news, as the
Hamburg fleet is now leaving.—London, 23rd April 1569. |
94. Copy of a Memorial given to His Majesty respecting
English Affairs by Merchants interested.—Madrid,
28th April 1569.
Your Majesty already knows that the queen of England has
ordered the seizure in her ports of a large number of vessels on
their voyage from Spain to Flanders, and vice versd. By our
advices we learn that they number already over 70, with great
sums of money which were sent from here with your Majesty's
license for Flanders to pay your Majesty's obligations there. The
value of the property so detained, including money and goods,
exceeds three million and a half in gold, and although it has not
hitherto been confiscated, the delay that has taken place already
makes us fear that it may be regarded as lost unless your Majesty
promptly orders measures to be adopted for its recovery, inasmuch
as we know that much of the merchandise is being sold and
dispersed, and we fear that the same may be done with the money.
The queen of England has declared that she will not treat with the
duke of Alba on this matter nor with your Majesty's ambassador,
for certain reasons which, although insufficient, influence her, and
which will cause the business to go from bad to worse daily to the
great loss and injury of your Majesty and your subjects unless
redress be promptly provided. We therefore briefly set forth
certain things that we consider might be done to remedy matters,
for your Majesty's consideration and decision, in the hope that your
Majesty will be pleased to approve of them. First, we would
suggest that your Majesty should be pleased at once to send a
member of your council of the treasury, of experience in affairs,
to make some agreement with regard to the goods that have been
sold and dispersed in England, and also with regard to the money,
in case the Queen should not consent at once to restore it all.
Inasmuch as the sum taken is a very large, one, every month of
delay means a. heavy loss for your Majesty's subjects and your
royal treasury also. This is particularly so as regards the marine
duties and customs dues on wool, which have all ceased in consequence
of the stoppage of maritime trade, caused by the obstacles
to navigation. It is certain that if your Majesty's subjects in
Spain and the States, and others that have served you, lose this
great sum of money, commerce would be nearly suspended, and
many would be totally ruined and undone. Even though it be not
lost but subsequently returned, the fact of its having been so long
detained under embargo, will cause great loss of credit and suspension
of payments ; besides which it will be almost impossible to
provide money in Flanders for want of means of transit, and
inasmuch as credit will be disturbed, it will not be possible to raise
funds otherwise. The loss and damage to your Majesty's subjects
and others that will be caused thereby cannot be exaggerated ;
especially to those who have undertaken obligations in Flanders to
provide money and who are not only prevented from entering into
fresh commitments, but cannot fulfil their present undertakings.
For this reason we presume humbly to beg your Majesty most
urgently to promptly order measures to be taken for our redress,
since every month of detention means a loss of over 300,000
ducats to your Majesty's subjects and other servants, except a very
small portion belonging to the Portuguese, there being no other
business at the present moment so important as this to your
Majesty's interests and those of your subjects and vassals.
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