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1 Feb.
Estado,840.
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705. Report of the Council Op State to Philip III. on a Letter
from the Duke Of Sessa in Rome, containing information
given to him by Father Persons, respecting England and
Ireland.
The following is a summary of the letter, &c. :—
An English Catholic named Constable, a great confidant of the
king of Scotland, has arrived in Rome, it is believed with the
consent of the King, and has tried to persuade the Pope that
the King may be converted ; and that if his Holiness and your
Majesty will help him to the English succession, both countries—
England and Scotland—may return to the faith. Constable promises
to promote this. Father Persons had been of opinion that this man
might be sent to sound the king of Scotland. His Holiness would
not consent, but gave him leave to go on his own account without
any authority. He enforces the great importance that your Majesty
should arrive at a prompt decision as to whom you wish to succeed
on the Queen's death, as it is feared otherwise that the chief men
may agree with the king of Scotland.
Everything proves that the real claimants are now reduced to
two, namely, the Infanta and the Archduke, and the king of
Scotland. The earl of Tyrone has requested his Holiness to send
a fully authorised person to Ireland, and the Duke (of Sessa) has
requested that an Italian jesuit in the service of your Majesty
should go. (fn. 1) He is one of three that the general has proposed to
his Holiness. The Duke took an opportunity of saying to his
Holiness that if your Majesty did not make peace with England,
it would be very advantageous for you to invade Ireland, his
Holiness granting the investiture of the kingdom to your Majesty.
The Pope seemed to approve of this, but did not speak clearly about
England. But the Duke (of Sessa) believes he will not refuse his
spiritual aid to your Majesty.
He states that this Irish business would be very easy, seeing the
number of Catholic friends there. It would be a complete bridle
upon the English in Flanders, and be a good point from which to
attack England itself ; or at least to bring it to favourable terms of
peace.
The Council approves of the Pope's refusal to give a brief to
Constable authorising him to treat for the conversion of the king of
Scotland. Last advices here state that he is of the same religion as
the queen of England. It is probable that Constable might come
back with feigned professions of conversion (like those of the king
of France) in order to gain the Pope, to the great injury to
Catholicism there. The Duke (of Sessa) should be instructed to
watch keenly what is done in this matter, and act accordingly ;
so that his Holiness may know how little dependence can be placed
in the king of Scotland. It is important that a Catholic King
should succeed on the death of the Queen, and this can best be
effected by your Majesty's promoting the claims of the Infanta, as
the English Catholics have petitioned you to do. The Duke of
Sessa has been instructed to lay this before his Holiness. It will be
very advantageous to gain the English councillors mentioned in
Persons' letter. The Duke should confer with Persons about it, and
send advice as to the course to be pursued to secure this end. He
should also send the information to Flanders and to the ambassador
Baltasar de Zuñiga.
The Duke did well in speaking to the Pope about the investiture of
Ireland. Everything shows the advisability of persevering in the
Irish business with great expedition and activity.—Madrid,
1st February 1601.
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9 Feb.
Estado, 840.
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706. Report of the Council of War to Philip III. on the Irish
expedition.
Eight letters to your Majesty, and three to the Duke of Lerma,
have been considered in the Council. They were brought by Don
Martin de la Cerda from O'Neil, O'Donnell, and the other principal
men in Ireland, who head the Catholics and resist the queen of
England. The substance of them is to say that the succour sent with
la Cerda arrived in good time, as they had thought they were
forgotten by your Majesty, and had decided to send O'Donnell hither,
although they would miss him much. As the queen of England had
devastated their lands last summer with 16,000 footmen and 2,000
horse, they are reduced to the last extreme of misery. But still
they stood firm, and swore before the Archbishop of Dublin to
await the succour until July this year. They refer your Majesty
for further information to the Archbishop and Don Martin de la
Cerda, whom they highly praise. They pray that the succour may
be sent before that time (July) and that it may consist of not less
than 5,000 footmen, and they also beg that your Majesty should
propose to the Pope the persons suggested by them for two Irish
churches.
As your Majesty's obligation to support these Catholics is obvious,
and it is the best way of distressing the queen of England, against
whom they have held out so bravely, the Council need not enforce
these points. But it is necessary that the succour sent should be
sufficient. Hitherto we have talked of 4,000 infantry, they ask for
5,000 at least. We are of opinion that 6,000 may be sent, as peace
has been made between France and Savoy, and the men raised here
can be sent into garrison whilst the old soldiers can go on the
expedition. Stores and munitions should be made ready for
shipment at once, for in Ireland they have not even bread.
Everything should be done with great secrecy, and the men should
be quietly sent to Lisbon, where everything must be collected—an
increased quantity of biscuit being ordered in addition to that now
being made in Coruña and Lisbon.
For the pay of the 6,000 men, enough money should be taken
for six months, amounting to 200,000 ducats, more or less, which
sum it is expected they have in Lisbon, in place of the 200,000 your
Majesty lent for the maintenance of the crews of the Indian flotilla,
105,000 ducats more will be required, in conformity with the
estimates of Estevan de Ibarra, which are enclosed. The Council
thinks that Don Cristobal de Mora might be instructed to send for
the troops that have to be brought from Terceira, some freighted
caravels, as Estevan de Ibarra sets forth in its estimate. Don Martin
de la Cerda thinks Frederico Spinola's galleys should be increased
to 20, but we do not see how this can be done ; but he might
have two of those from Lisbon. Frederico Spinola should be
ordered to come for them, without being told yet the object in view.
The request of the Irish with regard to the church presentations is
important, as they act as your Majesty's subjects. An Irish bishop
should be sent with the succour. They should be written to at once
giving them hopes of the aid.
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The following note in the handwriting of Philip III. is on the
margin of this report :—
I quite approve of 6,000 infantry being made ready for this
expedition to Ireland ; and I entrust the matter to my confessor,
as it is so much in God's service, in order that he may see that
everything recommended here is carried out with all possible speed.
See whether the making ready of the men, stores, and ammunition,
should be entrusted to Estevan de Ibarra, and act in this as appears
best. Consider also where the 100,000 ducats are to be got, so
that they may be sent at once. Send to Rome the nomination
for the Irish churches, and answer the letters from Ireland as is
considered best. I have considered the estimates and return them.
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707. Summary of the estimated cost, and details of the expedition
to Ireland.
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Ducats.
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Maintenance of 4,500 men for two months
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40,000
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One payment for 4,000 new soldiers to be shipped
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20,000
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Two payments for veteran cavalry
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12,000
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Shipping and maintenance of the men
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17,000
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To pay two payments to the native infantry
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16,000
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As it is most important that the troops should be kept
in good order and prevented from molesting the
natives, they must be paid punctually. For this and
all other needs these must be taken
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200,000
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Total estimated cost of the expedition
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305,000
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(It is explained that although this estimate only provides for
4,500 men, whilst the expedition was to consist of 6,000 soldiers
and 500 sailors ; the other 2,000 soldiers have full supplies, etc.,
provided for two months in Lisbon, where they were to embark.
It is also explained that the biscuit has been ordered separately,
and is not included in the above account. The smallest details are
provided for in these accounts which were presented to the Council
of State.
Twenty caravels were to be freighted, decked, and stored, to bring
troops from Terceira, at a cost of 140,000 ducats, the maintenance
of seamen, their wages, and cost of water casks amount to 17,000
ducats, whilst the stores on the fleet were estimated to cost 40,000
ducats.
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