Simancas: April 1585 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1896.

'Simancas: April 1585', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586, (London, 1896) pp. 534-536. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol3/pp534-536 [accessed 24 April 2024]

April 1585



5 April. Paris Archives, K. 1563. 53.	391. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King. I understand that the proposed going of Nau, the queen of Scotland's secretary, with Waad to Scotland, was for the purpose of ascertaining whether the King would consent in the association of himself with his mother, which the latter had signed, and to discover what his pretensions were. This step was adopted in consequence of Nau having asserted to the queen of England, in the presence of Grey, the king of Scotland's ambassador, that the King had given his consent to the association, which Grey denied. The queen of England therefore decided to investigate the matter thoroughly, and consequently sent Nau in the company of Waad to Scotland. When they were ready to leave she stopped them, in consequence of the discovery of a certain treasonable plot of the Scots rebels, who had taken refuge in England with this Queen's consent, and had entered into a conspiracy with some of the Scots barons. Of the latter, two have been beheaded, (fn. 1) one of whom was formerly the constable of Dumbarton castle, but who had been deprived of his post in consequence of his communication with the queen of England, and the castle had been handed over to the late duke of Lennox. The Queen has now sent Waad with autograph letters from herself to the king of France and his mother, begging them to surrender to her the Scotsman (?) Morgan, who, I wrote to your Majesty, had been arrested here, and who is now in the Bastille. I do not learn whether the King will give him up, but as the examination of Morgan's papers showed that he was in communication about the affairs of the Catholics and the queen of Scotland with a gentleman named Courcelles, belonging to the French embassy in England, the Queen at once sent to the French ambassador demanding that Courcelles should be sent away from England, which was done. (fn. 2) They have beheaded Dr. Parry, and when he was condemned a forged letter from Cardinal Como was produced, telling him to persevere in his good intention, and his Holiness would give him plenary absolution. Parry was asked whether he had received this letter, and on his admitting that he had, the judge condemned him to death, saying that there was no need for further confession. Parry thereupon replied that as he could now speak, he would say that this was not in accordance with the promise given to him, with which the Queen would be acquainted. This causes the belief, even amongst Englishmen, that Parry was unjustly condemned, and that the letter was fictitious. Raleigh's ships, as I wrote, had gone down the river to join the others at Plymouth, and Pedro de Zubiaur, whom I caused to be detained in England in order that he might send me news, writes that he had sent a person to Plymouth to report the quality of the ships, men, and stores. Drake is slackening greatly in his preparations, and it is rumoured that he will not now go with the Queen's commission, but with that of Don Antonio. Parliament was being continued until the 14th, in order to give time to see how the negotiations between the rebels and the king of France would turn out. The companies of merchants had met in their halls, and had represented to their presidents the necessity under which Antwerp was suffering, and that if succour were not speedily sent they were sure that your Majesty would dominate the Netherlands, and would then fall upon them. They had agreed, at the persuasion of the ministers from the pulpits, that each burgess should give a shilling, which is equal to two reals, besides one each they gave before.—Paris, 5th April 1585. Postscript.—By letter from London, dated 28th March, I am informed that the Queen was sending troops to Ireland, and also that she was ordering the English troops coming from Flanders to be sent to Ireland.
18 April. Paris Archives, K. 1563. 57.	392. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King. With respect to England, I have to report that I hear by letters dated 28th ultimo, that the Queen, upon hearing from her ambassador here of the levies of troops being made by the duke of Guise, had decided to send a gentleman to offer this King troops, money, and help, against the Guises. This had been conveyed to the French ambassador, and Cecil had afterwards told the Queen that she was not to think that the King would take up arms against the Guises in consequence of these offers ; since he could not do so, unaided, with safety to himself, and it would be better for her not to waste that which she might need, but to stand on the watch, and that when things were at their worst, she could tranquillise her country by hearing mass. An ambassador had come from the king of Scotland to give an account to this Queen of the treason that had been discovered, and the punishment he had inflicted. He complained also that the plot had been hatched by his rebellious subjects whom she was sheltering. The King (of Scotland?) resolutely replies that he will not be mixed up in any plan for helping the Flemish rebels, upon which point great pressure had been brought to bear upon him by this Queen, who made him many offers of assistance to that end. Of Raleigh's flotilla, 5 ships of 150 tons, and 8 frigates of about 25 tons, had collected at Plymouth and were getting ready to sail. Waad who I wrote came hither to ask for the surrender of the Englishman (Morgan) who attended to the queen of Scotland's affairs here has left, the King having answered that if he finds him guilty he will punish him here.—Paris, 18th April 1585. Postscript.—I have just received letters from England, dated 6th, but as they are not yet deciphered, I cannot send an account of their contents to-day.