Simancas: October 1575 | British History Online

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

'Simancas: October 1575', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 2, 1568-1579, (London, 1894) pp. 504-508. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol2/pp504-508 [accessed 23 April 2024]

October 1575



8 Oct.	422. Antonio De Guaras to Zayas. On the 1st instant I sent my last report. Shortly before midnight yesterday I received a letter from Don Pedro de Valdés, General of his Majesty's fleet at Dartmouth, dated the 2nd instant. He simply refers me for information to Juan Cipres, who, hearing on the road that the Queen was sixty miles from here, wisely decided, in order not to lose time, to go to Court first and give the Queen the letter he brought from the King. Despatches shall be sent to all the ports about victuals and other things needed by the fleet. Cipres reports that the fleet left Santander on the 25th ultimo, consisting of forty cutters and four great ships, arriving on the 1st at Dartmouth with twenty-two cutters and two great ships, one of which was the flagship with the General on board. Some of the others had touched there before but had proceeded on their voyage, and the rest were missing by reason of a great storm which caught them off Ushant, although some of them have put into Plymouth. I received with the said despatch the letter that his Majesty graciously wrote to me on the 27th of August, giving me instructions to address the Queen on the subject of the fleet. To-day at daybreak I leave for the Court to help Cipres in his errand, and to hand to the Queen the letter from his Excellency, in obedience to his orders. I am also sending a report to his Excellency of the arrival of the fleet. I am sending news to the General also, and remitting him copy of the letter sent by his Excellency on the 29th ultimo to M. de Barlamont and forwarded to me by the Antwerp postmaster, giving news that our people had killed the governor of Zealand, Boisot, and that his brother the Admiral had fled for fear that his own people would kill him, owing to the suspicion they have always felt of him. People from Flushing report that our men had burnt the fort of Viana (Duveland?) and killed more than six hundred of the enemy, the rest taking refuge in the town of Ziericsee, which they had fortified. There are but few people for the defence of Flushing now, as Orange took most of the men away. The news just brought is the first intimation that people here had of the coming of our fleet, and it is greatly to be hoped that the rest of the ships and cutters will have come by the Isle of Wight, the weather having been recently very bad with a furious E.N.E. wind. Everybody here believes that Holland and Zealand will soon be lost, and fugitives are already arriving at Dover from Flushing. Orange himself will no doubt fly hither, because he dare not go to Germany, where he owes large sums of money to those whom he has deceived, and in consequence of the quarrels he has with the relatives of his first wife, who is still alive. I leave this written to be taken by a courier. I am now going to the Court. A Scotch gentleman named Chambers has arrived here. They say he was a member of the Scotch Queen's Council. He is full of praise for the favours shown him in Spain and Flanders, and displays great desire to serve his Majesty, if his Excellency will employ him in Flanders. He begs me to convey this desire, and, as I do not know him, I have only replied in general terms. He is going to Court to try to get leave to see his mistress, and will afterwards return here. I will then give him a message for her. —London, 8th October 1575.
10 Oct.	423. Antonio De Guaras to Zayas. On the 8th instant I sent by way of Flanders a report of events here, and a copy of my letter, enclosing despatches for Don Pedro de Valdés, Captain General of his Majesty's fleet, was sent to him. I afterwards left for the Court with all speed, and requested audience of the Queen, which was duly granted. When I told her Majesty the cause of my coming and delivered to her the letter from his Excellency, she told me that the Spanish gentleman bearing the King's letter has been with her on the previous day. Two days before, she said, she had received news from her Vice-Admiral of the arrival of our fleet off Portsmouth, and immediately ordered that it should be received and those on board of it welcomed as if they were her own subjects. On receipt of his Majesty's letter she confirmed the orders, and sent to all the justices on the coast commanding them to give every assistance to the fleet under pain of her displeasure, providing victuals and all necessary stores at a reasonable price ; and she assured me that her desire was that everything should be done in accordance with the good friendship which had always existed between her and his Majesty. She said all this with a great appearance of goodwill, and in conformity with her sincere desire to preserve the alliance. When she retired she said she was very glad to hear that the King was well, and the earl of Sussex, the Lord Steward, then approached me and repeated what the Queen herself had said, assuring me that he, being so true a friend of peace and concord, had been mainly instrumental in obtaining so favourable a reply from the Queen, which I really believe. He told me I might be sure that all his fellow councillors were also well disposed. I send from here a person to the Captain-General with this letter and to inform him of the confirmation of the favourable reply given to his gentlemen. My man will also do what he can to forward the matter in the ports, and will return to Court, if necessary, I remaining here, in case anything else should be required, until I hear that the fleet has left. I do this as I shall not be required in London, having left orders there to forward to me here any despatches that may arrive. The Queen is well. God grant her long life, as upon this depends the continuance of our ancient friendship —Bradham, 10th October 1575.
11 Oct.	424. The King to Antonio De Guaras. Zayas generally gives me an account of what you write to him reporting events there, and I am very well satisfied with your services, and order you to continue the same. The object of the present letter is to inform you that I am sending Captain Sancho de Archiniega with some store transports to my Netherlands. I write by him to the Queen informing her thereof and asking her, in case he should touch in any of her ports, to have him received well in accordance with our friendship, and have him provided by purchase with such things as he may need for the prosecution of his voyage. I order you to take what steps may be necessary in accordance with what you may hear from Captain Archiniega, with whom you will keep up communication.—El Pardo, 11th October 1575.
11 Oct.	425. Copy of a Document labelled, "From his Majesty, in which, by the hand of Gracian, he sets forth what was proposed by Henry Cobham in the name of the queen of England, and what his Majesty replied."—El Pardo, Wednesday, 26th October 1575. Lord (?) Cobham was with me to-day, and has given me the enclosed letter, addressing me, by virtue of its credence, on behalf of the queen of England. He first thanked me for ordering the expulsion of the English from the Netherlands, and for the good expressions conveyed by the councillor of Brabant, who, I think, is called Buiscot, to the Queen on my behalf. He dwelt at length upon the great desire of the Queen to preserve her friendship with me, and how she had displayed this desire in refusing many of the offers made to her by the prince of Orange. He then spoke on various other points contained in the memorial which he handed to me from the Queen. He spoke about the Queen's sending an ambassador hither, and I an ambassador to her, but he said nothing about the point referred to in the memorial, as to the Queen's wish that the English ambassador here should be allowed to exercise his religion in his own house with his family and household as in England. He then said that the Queen had ordered him to inform me that she had seen a letter written by the king of France to the prince of Orange making him many promises, and said something about a marriage which I did not very well understand. I replied to his general expressions with fair words, assuring him of the high esteem in which I held the Queen's message, but referred him both in general matters and in detail to the duke of Alba, whom I would order to reply to him on all points. He afterwards gave me the enclosed memorial from the English merchants, which I told him should be considered and replied to. You will inform the duke of Alba of all this and show him the memorial, in order that he may be prepared, and may hear and consider all that was said to me that it may be discussed in the Council, with the view to a reply being given. I must be advised of the opinion arrived at in order that I may instruct the Duke as to what is to be done.
29 Oct.	426. Antonio De Guaras to (Zayas?). My last report was dated 21st instant, and was closed on the 24th at the Court. I sent from there two persons well instructed with regard to the recovery of the lost sloops. I heard whilst at the Court that the Council was discussing the issue of a proclamation ordering that none of the Queen's subjects should enter the sea service of the prince of Orange or the States. Those who are already there, like Cotton and others (as I write to his Excellency), should be ordered to be on their guard, as there is a general commission all along the coast to arrest them. When I asked the Council to allow one Carey, with a very powerful ship, to leave Southampton to serve in Flanders, I was told that he could not be allowed to sail on account of certain robberies of which he was accused, this, however, being only an excuse to prevent his going. I have no letters from his Excellency since then, nor since the 16th from Don Pedro de Valdés, although I have sent by every opportunity, and have informed him that the ships of the fleet which were to join him have sailed from Dunkirk, and that no armed vessels have left Flushing. I have also informed him of the success which God has granted to his Excellency, which will keep the enemy so busy that our fleet may, after having joined the ships from Dunkirk, sail with the first fine weather in all security. Supposing that he will have already arrived at the Isle (of Wight), I have repeated my letters to him, and sent a special messenger thither with them. I have heard that the fleet from Dunkirk passed near Dover on the 21st. The weather is now contrary, and when I receive advice from Portsmouth or the Isle (of Wight) I will inform his Excellency. Colonel Chester is still about the Court urging his request to be allowed to take soldiers to Flushing, but they openly refuse him permission. If he should take any over secretly I will complain of it. Two Scotch captains have gone to Scotland to raise men for Holland by orders of Orange, and I have heard from a man who has come from there that a treasurer of Orange, who was in Zealand, on hearing that our fleet was coming, and that a great friend of his who was Governor there had died, (fn. 1) at once collected all the money he could get and shipped on board a vessel bound for Scotland or Ireland. The chevalier Giraldi has been at Court, and is trying to arrange the differences between his King and these people. It is expected that an arrangement may be made. I have received news from the Court that the Council are considering the victory gained over the reiters in France and the coming of our fleet to Flanders. There are rumours that they will take some new step, either private or public, against France or the States. I have some one at Court who will learn what is intended, and I will duly advise. Our rebels here have made a collection, and are sending soldiers, Walloons and Flemings, to Flushing as there is a lack of men there. Amongst them go some Englishmen who have returned hither dismissed from the forces in Ireland, and are wandering about the streets destitute.—London, 29th October 1575.