Simancas: October 1585

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: October 1585', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586, (London, 1896) pp. 547-551. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol3/pp547-551 [accessed 26 March 2024]

October 1585

1 Oct.
Paris Archives, K. 1563. 125.
409. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King.
[Extract.]
I have only time to say now that yesterday letters arrived from the French ambassador in England, reporting that on the 18th ultimo Don Antonio embarked with Drake at Plymouth, and set sail with 35 good ships and 7,000 or 8,000 men with the object of effecting a landing in Portugal. Immediately after this news arrived here, it was sent to the Queen-mother ; the King having gone to the Bois de Vincennes, and she summoned Marshal de Biron at once, with the Abbé Guadagni in order to discuss the matter with them. She ordered Guadagni to speak to Custodio Leiton, who represents Don Antonio here, and ask him what news he had from his master, to see whether he knew anything about it, and if he did not, Guadagni was instructed to tell him. Guadagni found that Leiton was ignorant of the event, and told him, recommending him at the same time to go and see the Queen-mother. He did so and she complained greatly to him of Don Antonio's having concealed this voyage from her, which, she said, was a poor return for the favours she had extended to him. Leiton excused him by saying that it had been suddenly decided upon, whereupon she said that, on the contrary, she considered it had been settled long ago, when she call to mind the message that Don Antonio had sent her from the castle of Lusignan, warning the King and her not to be surprised if he sought help elsewhere since he could not get the help he expected from them. She therefore concluded that this plan was arranged some time since, and then went on at great length complaining that Don Antonio had kept them in the dark about it, ending by saying that, since the thing was done, she hoped God would prosper it, and that it would have all the good fortune in Portugal that she desired. If such were the case, she could assure him that the King, her son, would make such a demonstration in his favour that Don Antonio would recognise the goodwill the King had ever borne him. She sent Leiton to speak with the English ambassador, to discover whether he had any news of the expedition, but he found he knew nothing of the matter, whereupon he told him what the Queen-(mother) had heard from her ambassador, and he seemed much pleased at it. He signified, however, that of the number of ships and men, which, it was said, Drake and Don Antonio had, the Queen could not have provided more than seven or eight ships, as the rest of her vessels could not be spared away from the English coast, and the number of men also appeared to him to be very large. He asked Leiton whether the navigation of the Straits of Magellan was very long and difficult, but as Leiton did not know much about it, he gave the best answer he could. He then wished to know whether Don Antonio would be well received if he landed in India, and whether he would be welcomed in Portugal. Leiton was anxious to be free from all this questioning, and told him, at last, that he knew nothing about these points, but if the news was true he would very shortly have advices. I have not heard of his receiving any yet, and the Italian Cosmé Rogier, (Ruggiero?) who was sent by the French King to England with despatches for Don Antonio, has not yet returned, although he wrote from London on the 18th ultimo, saying he was leaving soon. This seems to cast some doubt upon the truth of the news.
I have received letters from London, dated 19th, saying that Drake was proceeding with the fitting out of the number of ships I previously mentioned, and that probably 3,000 or 4,000 men would go in them, soldiers and sailors together, although it was not considered probable that they would be ready to leave before the end of the month. Philip Sidney had been sent by the Queen to receive Don Antonio, and Somerset House was being put in readiness for his residence. Although the letters from the French ambassador are of later date (21st ultimo), I have thought well to send the news to your Majesty at once, and the moment confirmation reaches me I will send a special courier. The Queen-mother has made the intelligence public, and whilst she was at dinner asked a heretic what he thought of it, to which he replied that the queen of England was determined to lose like a man, and not like a woman.— Paris, 1st October 1585.
8 Oct.
Paris Archives, K. 1563. 129.
410. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King.
Since they arrested Pedro de Zubiaur in England I have endeavoured by every possible means to open up a correspondence which would enable me to give prompt information of events there, but they so constantly open letters in the ports that no foreigner will dare to undertake the task of writing, whilst the Englishmen of my acquaintance to whose reports credit could be given are for the most part in prison. I tried to send a Frenchman in the character of a member of the household of the ambassador from this King to the queen of England, but I could not manage it, as Secretary Villeroy insisted upon constituting the embassy entirely himself. I am still persevering in the same direction, however, because although it is easy enough to introduce men into the country, and for them to inquire into and inspect any warlike preparations that may be made, there is no assured way of conveying the intelligence either verbally or by letter. Letters from the ports to London can only be sent with great risk, and the person who makes the inquiries could not bring the information himself in time to be useful, as the ports are all so strictly closed. Some person must therefore be fixed in London who is able to receive news from the ports, and has means of sending the intelligence he obtains in the French ambassador's packets, which are the only ones allowed to pass intact. I shall manage it in time, but in the meanwhile have to depend upon what I can glean from the news sent by the French ambassador to the King and that current in the house of the English ambassador here.—Paris, 8th October 1585.
8 Oct.
Paris Archives, K. 1563. 130.
411. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King.
Gives an account of the great discomposure of the Queen-mother at the news of Don Antonio's departure with Drake's fleet for Portugal, and cites several instances of the sudden change of tone towards Don Antonio's representative on the part of the courtiers, in anticipation of the probable success of the expedition. Hopes are now held out that active help will be given by the Queen-mother to Don Antonio ... I am informed that letters have been seen in the possession of the English ambassador here, dated 13th October, N.S. (although they were headed according to the old style, 23rd ultimo), which came by special post sent to him by a son of the Lord Treasurer, who writes saying that as his father is in great travail of mind and body in consequence of his wife being in a dying state, and he himself suffering badly with the gout, he has ordered him to write in his stead. The only news he sent was that Don Antonio was in the county of Devonshire (which adjoins Cornwall) in a house belonging to Drake, with Philip Sidney. The latter had not, as was reported, been sent by the Queen from Court to receive Don Antonio, but had left in despair to embark on Drake's fleet in consequence of the Queen's having refused him the governorship of Flushing, for which he had asked, if the States would agree to it and she took them under her protection. He said Drake had about 30 ships and 4,000 men, soldiers and sailors together, and that Don Antonio had written to the Queen, saying that, in order to bear company with Philip Sidney he wished to embark on the fleet, whereat she scoffed greatly, as did also her ambassador in conversation with a friend of his who told me of it. From this it may be concluded that the going of Don Antonio in the fleet was not with the Queen's connivance. This view is also confirmed by the interview which Custodio Leiton had with the English ambassador here, when he went to ask him whether he had news of the going of Don Antonio. The ambassador replied that he had no letters, which was intended to keep people here in the mistaken belief that Don Antonio had sailed, as there could be no question of trying to conceal the matter in order to prevent your Majesty from making due preparations, the news having been already made public, besides which Drake cannot even yet be ready to sail. Sampson is of opinion that if Don Antonio goes with him Drake will most likely go to the coast of Brazil, and, as the season is already late to encounter your Majesty's fleets, it is more possible that they will endeavour to plunder some place and sack as much as they can, rather than try to establish themselves firmly ashore, the English people being unable to suffer hardships except at sea.—Paris, 8th October 1585.
9 Oct.
Paris Archives, K. 1563. 130.
412. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King.
[Extract.]
Begs for more money on account of need for obtaining intelligence from all parts of France, the country being so disturbed ; and now that Don Antonio is in England news from there is worth more than its weight in gold.
Lord Paget, his brother Charles, Arundel, and Thomas Throgmorton constantly beg me to pay them the pensions that your Majesty granted them, it being now nearly a year since Tassis conveyed your Majesty's message to them, and the amount due now reaches 3,240 crowns. I understand that Lord Paget, being dissatisfied with my reply, and with the hopes I hold out to him that your Majesty's grant will be duly fulfilled, has decided to go from Rome, where he has passed this summer, to salute your Majesty personally.—Paris, 9th October 1585.
Note.—A letter from Don Bernardino to Idiaquez accompanies the above request for the remittance of money, saying that if he draws money from merchants the exchange costs him 3 per cent. whereas if he receives cash from Spain he makes a profit of 8 per cent. "as they do." He therefore begs permission to import from Spain 3,000 crowns, to be spent in the King's service.
17 Oct.
Paris Archives, K. 1563. 138.
413. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King.
This merchant's post is going at such an undue hour that I have only time to say that Don Antonio was still in England, and was going to London, although Cosmé Rogier who took despatches from the King and Queen of France to him has not yet returned. The French ambassador wrote on the 4th, excusing himself for sending on the 23rd the false news (of Don Antonio's departure with Drake's fleet from England).
Drake weighed anchor in Plymouth at nightfall on the 27th September, and all the next day and at dawn the day after was still in sight from the land, becalmed. The day following he arrived at Falmouth in Cornwall, and up to the end of the month he had fine weather, but with many calms. Since then there have been furious westerly gales blowing, which will certainly have driven him back to the English coast, unless he made for Ireland, which is the most likely, as very many of the sailors and others who were with him had been pressed on board, and if he put into an English port they would desert. It was asserted here as a positive fact that he had returned, and I have delayed sending a report to your Majesty until I could ascertain the truth. Up to the present, however, there is no certain news, except that there has been a strong gale blowing dead against his course, and this has also prevented letters coming from England.
I send your Majesty herewith an exact account of the ships Drake has, and the stores, munitions, and men on board of them, which report was furnished to me by a trustworthy Frenchman who had ocular evidence of the facts he relates. I sent him to England for this purpose months ago, and he made friends with Drake himself, and arranged to go in the fleet. He gave him the slip, but could not come hither (all the ports being rigidly closed) until M. de la Mauvissière crossed over on his return from his embassy in England. I feared the man was dead or a prisoner, and I consequently did not venture to tell your Majesty I had sent him. The reports from England received by this King (of France) are similar in effect to that which I send, but not so full in detail. —Paris, 17th October 1585.