Simancas: May 1572 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 2, 1568-1579. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1894.

Citation:

'Simancas: May 1572', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 2, 1568-1579, (London, 1894) pp. 386-395. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol2/pp386-395 [accessed 11 May 2024].

May 1572



5 May.	324. Guerau De Spes to the King. I am only delaying my departure as the duke of Alba wishes me to make some arrangement to receive intelligence from England. This I will do by means of ciphers, which I have left there with some private persons desirous of serving your Majesty. M. de Zweveghem has written saying that the Queen had sent him orders to prepare his departure at once, which he was doing. M. de Foix was expected in London for the conclusion of the league and the French think that they will thus obtain possession of the queen of Scotland. These treaties will certainly be carried through now they have gone so far, particularly as the disturbances in Zealand have so greatly raised their spirits. The rebels are still increasing, and are now pressing Middleburg closely. If this is lost very great evil will result. The duke of Alba is raising his army, and the fleet will soon be ready, but I am in great fear of these people, seeing how dissatisfied they are, as I will verbally explain to your Majesty.—Brussels, 5th May 1572.
	325. Document headed "Information which Don Guerau De Spes obtained in England, and related on his coming to Spain" (amongst papers of 1572). The queen of England, being so much attached to heresy, has always attempted to injure the interests of the King, as he is so Catholic and powerful prince, whom she has deeply offended and whose anger she fears. She promoted the revolutions in Flanders in the time of Count Egmont and the prince of Orange, aiding by means of money, ships, and stores, and receiving rebels in such numbers that there are at least 20,000 there at the present time. She provides them with all that is necessary to arm and assail the Netherlands coasts and those of Spain and the Indies. At the end of 1568, when Don Guerau arrived in England as ambassador, Cardinal Chatillon came thither on the same day, and it was arranged between him and the Queen that our rebels and the armed Englishmen should seize all the ships belonging to his Majesty's subjects which passed through the Channel, in order to enrich the Queen with the booty and help the French Huguenots, who were then, for the third time, in arms against their King. This was done, and 14 or 15 very valuable ships were immediately captured, although the ambassador was assured that this was not in accordance with the Queen's wish. At this time money belonging to his Majesty and the Flemings arrived there in four cutters and a ship, to the amount of about 800,000 ducats, and, notwithstanding her signed passport and faithful promise given to the ambassador, the Queen with great artifice seized a part of this money, the rest being saved by two of the cutters boldly running through the pirates. Thereupon the Duke ordered the seizure of goods in Flanders, sending M. D'Assonleville to beg the Queen to restore what she had taken and he would do the same. D'Assonleviile, however, was not allowed to see the Queen, and the ambassador himself was detained and surrounded by armed men for six months. The Queen shortly afterwards became more openly inimical to the King's interests ; forming a league with the French and Germans and ignominiously dismissing the Marquis Chapin Viteli, who came to confer with her, as she also did subsequently to the ambassador and M. de Zweveghem and Thomas Fiesco, who had gone to England on the matter of the merchandise. She pressed the Catholics with intolerable cruelty, ordering the most atrocious death penalties, to such an extent that Northumberland, Westmoreland, and other northern gentlemen took up arms against her 'war of edicts' on God and the Catholic Church. As they were not helped, they were obliged to scatter and some of them were lost. The duke of Norfolk also renounced his allegiance to the Queen. This nobleman may be called the Campo de Rosy of that country, powerful enough to bring it into submission to anyone he pleased, and to restore the Catholic religion there. This he offered his Majesty and His Holiness to do, asking for very little help, but the whole project was delayed and disconcerted, and the queen of Scotland, who is the true heiress and a Catholic princess, has been for the last five years a close prisoner in England, she having taken refuge there peacefully, and at the Queen's invitation. The queen of England has a Council well adapted for such work as this, composed of heretics and badly disposed men who have enriched themselves by the plunder of our people, and who are bitterly determined to disturb the dominions of our King and abate his grandeur. They therefore never lose sight of opportunities for disturbing the Netherlands, having gone so far as to attempt the capture of the isles of Zealand. They also are continually attempting to trouble the Indies, robbing the ships that come and go, and endeavouring to discover the passage by the channel, which is presumed to exist at the north of the Indies, in order to get into the southern seas and molest Peru and the islands. In short, they try all they can with artifice and persistence to damage the crown of Spain. It will be easy to pay them back in their own coin both in Ireland and in England, as the Irish are Catholics and wish to shake off the yoke of the English who cruelly tyrannise over them. The principal persons in the island have sent to his Majesty to offer their submission to him. The task is an easy one, and with three or four thousand men and a competent fleet the island would be mastered, as his Majesty has been informed by a detailed report. All this must be arranged with dissimulation, so that it may be put into execution in the spring. There are persons ready who are well fitted for the task, and there never was such an opportunity as this. There are facilities also for the English enterprise if the duke of Alba would look into it or at least countenance those who would undertake it. This he has, for certain reasons, refused to do hitherto, but if Ireland were ours first, it would afford great facilities for the subjection of England, although, if the duke of Alba will take the matter up, it will be easy to do both things. It will be necessary with this object to bring forward the name of the queen of Scotland as the legitimate Queen, with the object of marrying her to Don John of Austria, or another person of this house, in order the more to assure the allegiance of people in the countries. When his Majesty may be pleased to consider the matter all his scruples shall be satisfied, and in the meanwhile this is submitted for the consideration of your Lordship.
	326. Guerau De Spes to the King. [Incomplete, but apparently written in France during his journey to Madrid.] Although your Majesty will have reports of French affairs since the events of Valenciennes, I have thought well to write, before myself saluting you, to say that the preparations being made at Bordeaux, Brouage, and other ports near Rochelle, are very great. There are twenty-two great warships with five or six thousand harquebussiers and many gentlemen, some of whom belong to the chamber of the Christian King, the flower of France, both Catholics and Huguenots. Three great galleys are being built at Bayonne with all speed to accompany this fleet, and three similar galleys are probably now finished in Havre de Grace. From this it is deduced that this fleet is to assail the Netherlands, because galleys cannot be used in the Indies, and in former times they had been employed in the canals of Zealand. From what I hear from Catholics and Protestants, I gather that these heretics wish to gain the goodwill of M. d'Alencon, who is not satisfied with his share of the partition, and they wish to make him believe that the Flemish portion may be improved. He therefore consents in these undertakings and personally encourages those who are going. I have said nothing about it to Don Diego de Zuñiga (fn. 1) until I learn your Majesty's wishes, or if it was advisable that this captain (fn. 2) should have a post on one of the frontiers so that he might serve your Majesty when you thought fit to accept his service. I can say nothing more positive about France or England, except that they proceed with all diligence and artfulness to injure your Majesty's interests, as I will verbally report when I appear before your Majesty. If the force being raised by the duke of Alba is small, they (the English) will at once go to the aid of the rebels ; if it be large, they will temporise on land but continue to molest us at sea, succouring the Zealand people at their pleasure. I am told that, with this end, M. de Montbrun was raising nine standards in Gascony, and others were being raised in different parts of France. The French in this are fulfilling three objects : first, pleasing the Turk by diverting your Majesty's forces, causing you great expenditure whilst keeping your States in turmoil, standing as they think, perhaps, to win, but running no risk of losing, because they think your Majesty will not openly declare war if the Christian King make some sort of apology. The Protestants think that Admiral Chatillon will undertake the relief of Mons, in the name of himself and his accomplices, for which purpose it is said he is raising troops in Germany. The sooner your Majesty's forces are ready in Flanders, and Mons be strictly blockaded, the better. As regards the Irish affair, which is already so advanced, your Majesty's fleet must be sufficiently large in those seas to overawe the English and bring the Queen to her senses. I told the Viceroy of Navarre that it would be well that the Biscayners, who are with the galleys in Bayonne, should be secretly summoned and that they should burn the galleys. I do not know whether he has written to your Majesty about this, but he approved of it. I also told him what a small garrison there is in Bayonne.
12 May.	327. Antonio De Guaras to the Duke of Alba. I wrote to your Excellency on the 29th ult. by M. de Zweveghem, and have since then heard nothing of Tusan, the courier I sent to your Excellency on the 11th ult., nor have I received anything from your Excellency. I trust both letters will have been safely delivered. Having heard from the third person that the Queen and Lord Burleigh were greatly surprised that Tusan had not returned, and that the matter respecting which I wrote was being so long delayed, I went to see Lord Burleigh four days ago, and told him that I was hourly expecting an answer, and thought that your Excellency was delaying it until you had heard from Zweveghem verbally the particulars of the answer which had been given to him here, and that being the case, the courier would not be much longer delayed. He answered shortly, as if not well pleased with the delay, "Very well." On the 8th instant the Queen went with the ordinary ceremonies to open Parliament. She looked well in her robes and wearing her crown, which I never have yet seen any prince here do in Parliament. It is said that the principal business will be the justification of the proceedings against the duke of Norfolk, in order that all the country may see, if he be executed, that it has been for just causes, as they say, and with the consent of all estates of the realm. It is greatly suspected that he will not be pardoned, and that the prisoners in the Tower will be proceeded against, they being, as the saying is, his companions in the same crime. It is also expected that the Parliament will deal with the succession to the crown and the alliance with France. Montmorenci is expected here and lodgings have been prepared for him in the earl of Leicester's house. It is confirmed that the Admiral of England will go to France on the same business. For the last ten days the Flemish rebels here have been busy again collecting arms and money from their friends to send troops to Brille and Flushing. The men who are busiest in this are two brothers, heretic rebels, called the Palmas of Middleburg, who are trying to convince these foolish people of the goodness of their silly plans and are sending more troops every day. There are two young German gentlemen constantly at Court busy in some negotiation, and yesterday they received a reply which seemed to please them, as I noticed that they left the Court in great rejoicing. It may well be supposed that these people, not being satisfied of our friendship, are providing themselves with German friends. The last time I was with Lord Burleigh he told me he would send me the document which I now enclose respecting Zweveghem's business. This he did to-day and asked me to forward it to his Majesty, which I said I would do if he would give me another copy to send to your Excellency for your information. He told me that he was too busy to give me another copy, and that I might send this to your Excellency for transmission to his Majesty after perusal. When he gave it to me, therefore, he did so with all reverence, kissing the paper.—London, 12th May 1572.
12 May.	328. Antonio De Guaras to the King. Confirms aforegoing letters (that of 29th being taken by Zweveghem). Encloses copy of letter to duke of Alba of same date.—London, 12th May 1572.
18 May.	329. Antonio De Guaras to the Duke of Alba. I last wrote to your Excellency on the 12th, by an English courier, and I send the enclosed copy as there is no certainty of the English couriers delivering letters safely. By him I sent also the document given to me by Lord Burleigh, and I have since received no letters from your Excellency nor has Tusan returned, although the letters I sent by Zweveghem will have been received and those of the 12th which went under cover to the Postmaster-General of Antwerp. I have little to write now, excepting that the third person is continually asking me whether I have not received any letters from your Excellency. In the meanwhile I do not go to Court and Lord Burleigh sends me no messages. Parliament is proceeding with great vigour against the queen of Scotland, and it is confidently believed that they will place her in sore trouble and even peril, as it is said that they have proofs that the said Queen had persuaded many persons who are now in prison that she was the lawful Queen, and that the present Queen was a usurper. They will therefore proceed against her, and doubtless condemn her and the other prisoners ; in the first place, because she and her husband in France adopted the style of king and queen of England, coining money stamped with the arms of England and France together ; and secondly, because she wished to marry the duke of Norfolk and entered into many plans and plots, prejudicial to this realm. Up to this time nothing else has been discussed in Parliament, not even the question of the succession or the French alliance, and it is to be supposed that their action on these two latter points will be governed mainly by the amount of friendliness they find in us. Montmorenci is expected here in about a fortnight, and it is said that he will come with a great following. Although they have agreed for mutual defence, it is believed to be all nothing but compliment and dissimulation on both sides, and at the least thing, all their leagues and alliances will turn out illusory. By letters of the 14th we learn of the heavy blow that has been dealt to the rebels at Ramua, and their friends here are panicstricken, as they expected a better result. They still think those at Flushing and Brille are invincible, but, please God, they will come to the same end as their companions. Every day, lately, boats have been going over with rebels to Flushing and Brille with all the arms, victuals, and money they have been able to get together. Some Englishmen go amongst them, although it is to be believed not by orders of the Queen and Council, but rather as people led astray by our rebels.
24 May.	330. This courier has been delayed, and I now write to say that the passion shown by our rebels here is quite incredible. They are with all solicitude sending munitions and money to Flushing and Brille, besides many troops, and they even persuade large numbers of Englishmen to go. The boats after carrying them over return for others, and ship gunpowder, arms, beer, and other stores in great quantities, as well as taking over from here and elsewhere grain and other provisions. A rich English merchant named Pointz, well known in Antwerp, has gone to Flushing with all the money he could collect from the heretic congregations, as well as quantities of arms and munitions. He writes every day to the rebels here to send more help, which they do. An Englishman named Captain Morgan has enlisted three hundred English soldiers (although without drum and standard), and is ready to leave with them, the citizens of London guaranteeing them their pay, which the Flemish rebels here have undertaken to provide. It is said that many more Englishmen will go, and all this is done so publicly, that one is bound to believe that the Queen and Council willingly shut their eyes to it. No doubt great aid will be sent from here daily. God grant, at least, that such aid may not be publicly declared by the State. News comes from Rouen and Calais, dated the 19th instant, that there are great flocks of Frenchmen who were believed to be coming to Calais for the purpose of embarking for Flushing and Brille. If the king of France is allowing it you will know better on the other side than we can here. In order to encourage the English and these pernicious rebels, the false and traitorous manifesto of that rogue Orange has been sent here ; although it is stated on it to have been printed at a distance, it is believed that these rebels have had it printed here, and it was being sold publicly yesterday with great noise and rejoicing, as if all the lies in it were true. This has had the effect of increasing the help sent, and, as nothing hinders them, this help will go increasing from day to day. I am informed by the third person that the sorrow of the Queen and Lord Burleigh is very great at the delay in the reply to the matter respecting which they spoke to me, and, in despair of a favourable answer, it seems as if they were tacitly allowing this public helping of the rebels, persuading themselves that thereby Flanders may be plunged into disturbance to an extent that will compass the end they have always longed for, namely, that the Spanish power may be expelled from there, which God forbid. Your Excellency has been informed for the last three years that this is the point to which their desires tend, and your Excellency may be certain that, if they treat for concord, it is with the principal wish and demand that Flanders should be denuded of troops, which demand seems to be unworthy even of consideration or reply. As they see this, and are convinced that the agreement will not be carried into effect, they have apparently changed their tone since the other day, when they expressed willingness for harmony, being now offended by your Excellency's silence, and encouraged with hopes of trouble in Flanders and friendship with France. They see a strong feeling against us amongst the people, and great lamentations are heard in the streets for what they say has happened at Ramua, (fn. 3) to the effect that not only were all the men put to death after they surrendered, but the women and children were also killed, and as all Englishmen believe this, the best word they can apply to us is that we are tyrants. In this Parliament great efforts are being made, especially by the men they call bishops, to urge on a declaration of war against his Majesty, the matter being discussed with great vehemence. It is difficult to say what decision will be arrived at. The principal thing upon which Parliament has been busy is the proceedings against the queen of Scotland, and they have sent two personages to her to obtain her reply to the criminal accusations made against her. They will trouble her sorely, as I have already written. Parliament has also dealt with the accusations against the duke of Norfolk, in order that the estates of the realm might consent to his condemnation and execution. As, however, he is extremely beloved by the people, the majority have decided to record no formal confirmation or judgment, but to refer the matter to the Queen's clemency, whereat the Queen was displeased, and the matter is still under discussion. All the Queen's ships have been ordered into dry dock to be caulked and tarred, but nothing yet has been done towards arming them, nor is there any noise of collecting seamen, but they want to have the ships ready. The Queen is leaving for Hampton Court to receive Montmorenci, and the Admiral (fn. 4) is leaving for France, he having been created earl of Lincoln. It is arranged that he and Montmorenci shall cross the Channel in opposite directions on the same day, in order to keep up appearances. It is generally asserted that when Parliament closes the duke of Norfolk will be executed. The bishop of Ross, the queen of Scotland's ambassador, the earl of Southampton, son-in-law of Lord Montague, two sons of Lord Derby, and Lord Lumley, son-in-law of the earl of Arundel, are still in prison, the earl of Arundel himself being under arrest in his own house, and Lord Cobham under guard at Burleigh House. Thomas Cobham, brother of Lord Cobham, is in the Tower with over thirty other gentlemen of high position, all of them for being concerned with the queen of Scots and the duke of Norfolk. The queen of Scots is being guarded very closely in a castle eighty miles from here by the earl of Shrewsbury and Sadler of the Council. For the last two days it is said that the matter of the succession has been brought up in Parliament, and it has been objected that the eldest son of the earl of Hertford by his pretended wife Catharine is not legitimate, by reason of the marriage not having been published, both the Earl and his wife having been kept in prison in consequence for many years, until her death, he being fined as well eight thousand shillings. It has been claimed that the second son is the heir to his father, as his parents were married before he was born with the consent of the Queen and Council, and in this light the second son would be the successor to the Crown, but it is thought that no more will be done about it in this Parliament. Seeing the public aid being sent by Englishmen to Flanders, and the impunity with which our rebels carry over arms and victuals in so open a manner, I got the third person to say to Burleigh, as if from me, that this would be likely to hinder the good object of concord which had been suggested through me. It is to be believed that he mentioned the matter to him, but as he told me that he had not been able to see him, I went yesterday to his, Burleigh's, chamber, and when he learnt that I wished to urge him not to allow this aid to be sent, he refused to see me, and upon my waiting for him to come out of his chamber, he saw me but pretended to be in a hurry. It is very clear that these people are naturally inconstant. Pointz, the Englishman, came from Flushing yesterday with four other men who call themselves Flemish captains. They were secretly with the Council for a long time, and it is said that their business was, so far as is known, only to report the state of Flushing and Brille. It is rumoured that a place of great importance in Gueldres has risen, and much help will be sent from here and elsewhere to the rebels. I have only to add, that I have not been able to obtain more than one copy of that traitor's manifesto, and consequently have to beg that you will forward the one I enclose to his Majesty, after reading it.—London, 24th May 1572.
29 May. B. M. Add. 26,056b.	331. Continuation of aforegoing letter. Gives an account of the duke of Norfolk's execution. He said to the people that he had never willingly offended the Queen, but acknowledged his error in wishing to marry the queen of Scots without his Queen's permission. He never paid any attention to what the Italian Ridolfi had said or the letters from the Pope he had shown him, and his only fault had been in not denouncing it. He had, moreover, never had any leanings towards the Pope or his creed, but had always been a conscientious Protestant. And so this unfortunate man died confessing his schism, although some people have declared that he said this in the hope of pardon, because when he was at liberty he sometimes showed signs of differing in opinion from the heretics. Nothing is being discussed in Parliament since then but the queen of Scotland affairs, and it is said that Parliament will declare her excluded from the succession to the throne, and that she will be proceeded against criminally like an ordinary person, as they say there are grounds for her condemnation, and it is believed that she will be condemned. The news from Flanders is producing incredible joy in our rebels and amongst nearly all these people, and the least thing they shout on 'Change and in the street is that the States are utterly lost to us, and that your Excellency and the Spaniards will have to leave. God grant that the troubles are permitted now by Him, in order that the ungodly may afterwards be more completely confounded and punished by your Excellency. It is to be hoped that the arrival of the duke of Medina-Celi and his forces may frighten the heretics, who will thus see those who are to confound them. Parliament has now decided to send an archbishop and two bishops, as they are called here, and six councillors to proceed against the queen of Scots, and it is believed that she will be in great peril. It is announced that the Scots have delivered to this Queen the earl of Northumberland and five or six other English gentlemen prisoners. They will doubtless be executed without mercy.— London, 29th May 1572.
29 May.	332. Antonio De Guaras to the King. Encloses copies of all the aforegoing letters to the duke of Alba.