Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 2, 1568-1579. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1894.
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'Simancas: September 1574', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 2, 1568-1579, (London, 1894) pp. 484-485. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol2/pp484-485 [accessed 18 April 2024]
September 1574
| Sept. B. M. Add. 26,056b. Transcript. |
402. Document headed "Contents of Guaras' Letters." Orange refuses to employ Englishmen, and therefore five or six captains have offered to serve his Majesty (Philip) and to bring mariners with them. The principal of these is Bingham who, Guaras asserts, is a useful man who has a design about Flushing which Guaras sends, as well as his (Bingham's) opinion about a landing in Ireland, in which enterprise he offers to take part. Haselby had returned from Holland with Chester, and had told Guaras that the Scotsman still remained inside Bomel, but he does not know of the arrangement made with the Scotsman. They talked amongst themselves, however, about Captain Ellis (Villiers?) going to Bomel and there arranging with Colonel Balfour for him and his men, when they leave there, to go to Rotterdam or Delft, or wherever Orange might be, in order to capture or kill him. They would also surrender one of those towns, and on their doing these two things the colonel and the captains were to have 20,000 crowns each, and as much more for the men. In case they fail to capture Orange but surrender the town, they are only to receive 15,000 crowns amongst the whole of them, whilst, if on the contrary, they capture him and do not surrender the town, the are to have 30,000 between them. In addition to this the colonel asks for a pension of 1,000 crowns and the captains 300, with an employment. They would sign an agreement as desired. Guaras says Ellis (Villiers?) is a man of experience and has served Orange for a long time, but he and the rest of the English are dissatisfied with him. The queen of Scots has been sent to Pomfret and is to be attended by the duchess of Suffolk, the daughter of Dona Maria Salinas, (fn. 1) who was a lady-in-waiting on Queen Katharine. She is one of the worst heretics in England and has studied at Geneva. They are also going to send thither the earl of Bedford, one of the most obstinate of the heretics, to take charge of the Queen. He has always advocated the putting of her to death. This change will be of no advantage to the queen of Scotland. It was also said that the said Queen was to be criminally arraigned by Parliament, all this arising from the fear that the king of France would try by all means to liberate her. Guaras still says that if it is the desire of his Majesty to get possession of the Prince, it can easily be managed with a little money, in which case two persons of position who are deeply interested in the matter will undertake it, as well as liberating the mother, and place them both safely in his Majesty's dominions.— London, September 1574. |
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