Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1896.
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'Simancas: November 1584', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586, (London, 1896) pp. 529-530. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol3/pp529-530 [accessed 26 April 2024]
November 1584
| 9 Nov. B. M. Add. 28,702. |
385. Unsigned contemporary copy of Letter of Advices to the
King respecting English affairs. The queen of Scotland, foreseeing from the change of her guard and place of residence that she would probably not continue much longer to enjoy liberty to write and receive letters, wrote as follows on the 9th November 1584. I am expecting no good result from the treaty between the queen of England and myself relative to my liberation ; but let the end be what it may, whatever becomes of me, and no matter what change may be made in my condition, you will not fail to use all diligence in forwarding the execution of the great enterprise, without consideration for any personal danger I may incur. I shall look upon my life as well spent, if by its sacrifice I can help and relieve the multitude of oppressed children of the Holy Catholic Church. I say this now, as my final resolution, in doubt as to whether in future I shall have an opportunity of writing it, in order that you may convey it when and to whom you may think desirable. I also beg you will pray his Holiness and the King with much urgency to press forward the execution of the first design, in order that the results may be seen during next summer, which is the longest time we can wait. Failing this, we shall be unable to amend or redress matters, and shall find the Catholic cause and our own utterly ruined, without hope of its being resuscitated again, at least in our times. I have not received a groat of the 12,000 ducats promised to myself, and my son has only had 6,000 of the 10,000 promised to him, wherefore he is much grieved and annoyed. He is, however, not less well inclined to our enterprise than before, or less willing to be guided by me in all his affairs. He is about to dispatch a gentleman of his named Gray to the Court of England, the principal object, however, being that he should visit me for the purpose, conferring with me verbally on the decision relative to our business. This gentleman is a Catholic, and I hope to God they will allow him to speak with me. But pray urge the sending of the 12,000 ducats for me to London as soon as possible. In addition to the above, written by the queen of Scotland herself, your Majesty must bear in mind that the queen of England and her Council, having first published in printed pamphlets that the queen of Scotland had intrigued with Don Bernardino de Mendoza and Francis Throgmorton against the queen of England and her country, subsequently bound themselves together by oath to prosecute any person who may claim a right to succeed to the crown of England. They have finally removed the queen of Scotland from the place where she was living, and from the custody of the earl of Shrewsbury, entrusting her to the keeping of two other heretics of obscure and low descent, who are strong adherents to the queen of Scotland's rivals. (fn. 1) For these reasons, as I say, it is extremely probable, and indeed evident to those who are experienced in English governmental methods, that the Queen (of England) and her Council have resolved secretly, not only to disinherit and deprive the queen of Scotland of her rights, but also to ruin her personally and take her life if his Holiness and your Majesty, within a very limited time, do not find some means of saving her, or, at least, of troubling and occupying the queen of England in such a way as to make her understand (as until a few months ago she had always thought) that the life and safety of the queen of Scotland involve her own quietude and wellbeing. From the aforegoing it will be seen how vain and weak were the arguments which were urged last summer, to the effect that the succour which was expected by the queen of Scotland and the English Catholics might be deferred without prejudice until Flanders should be recovered, the queen of England should die, or some other great change take place in the country. But admitting even that the queen of Scotland were to escape and save herself from her impending ruin, she would have to be dependent in doing so upon the favour of the heretical authorities that guard her, and it would not be either consonant with prudence or good policy, but in direct prejudice to the Catholic cause, that she should be driven to acknowledge that she owed her life and estate to heretics. If, on the contrary, she perish, as is to be feared, it cannot fail to bring some scandal and reproach upon your Majesty, because, as your Majesty, after her, is the nearest Catholic heir of the blood royal of England, some false suspicion might naturally be aroused at your having abandoned the good Queen to be ruined by her heretic rivals, in order to open the door to your Majesty's own advantage. Note.—The aforegoing is probably the deciphering of an intercepted letter. |
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