Simancas: November 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: November 1585', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586, (London, 1896) pp. 551-553. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol3/pp551-553 [accessed 25 April 2024]

November 1585



16 Nov. Paris Archives, K. 1563. 153.	414. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King. Don Antonio had travelled towards London, as I wrote to your Majesty (lodging in the houses of various gentlemen who entertained him on the way), but I have not heard whether he had arrived. Walsingham has written hither, saying that the Queen had ordered two houses to be made ready for his reception, of which he could hardly support the cost unless his pension from France were continued. I am told by Sampson that, when he applied for the 500 crowns this month, the cashier of Don Antonio's agent told him that he had orders not to pay him any more as the King had revoked the pension. The ships fitted out by Raleigh have brought into Plymouth some vessels belonging, to subjects of your Majesty, loaded with sugar and other drugs, and, as Raleigh himself had gone down to the port, it was said that they had brought some silver or gold. The earl of Angus, with the rest of the Scots rebels who were on the English Border, had entered Scotland with their armed followers, but without any Englishmen, although the earls of Pembroke and Cumberland, with Lord Grey and a body of men, were ready to support them in case of need. When the king of Scotland heard of this he sent for the English ambassador, Edward Wotton, and asked him whether this was the sort of friendship promised to him by the queen of England, whom, he said, he would pay some day for it, and with this he ordered him to begone to England. The King himself went to Dumbarton. This news comes from the French ambassador in England.—Paris, 16th November 1585.
29 Nov. Paris Archives, K. 1563. 161.	415. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King. News has been received here that Don Antonio had arrived at one of the houses which the Queen had had prepared for him, nine miles from London. He was visited there by the French ambassador before he had seen the Queen, and Cosmé Rogier, who has returned, says that the Queen resented this. She had seen Don Antonio four times, for which purpose he had come to London and stayed in the house of a Portuguese Jew physician named Lopez, where the Queen visited him ; and Rogier says that she gave him some money, but he does not know what amount, only that all his people had been dressed in London cloth, and were fed on beef and beer without any other entertainment. He was sending hither for the necessary paraphernalia for saying mass, and Diego Botello has written letters full of hopes that they will soon go to Portugal, signifying that they are negotiating for the means for doing so. Custodio Leiton has gone to England to see Don Antonio, desperately in need of money as his pension had been stopped. The Queen-mother urged him to return shortly, and to persuade Don Antonio to do the same. Sampson has asked me to ask your Majesty to give him leave. I have told him I would, but that it was important that he should stay until we see whether Don Antonio will remain in England or return hither, because if Sampson goes it will be very difficult to find another man to report so carefully and promptly all Don Antonio's movements. For this reason I have provided him with means to stay here for the present in your Majesty's interests.—Paris, 29th November 1585.
29 Nov. Paris Archives, K. 1563. 162.	416. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King. Since my last news has come from Scotland in letters dated London, 14th instant, saying that the earls of Angus, Mar, and Morton the younger, with 3,000 Scotch horse, had entered Scotland, leaving on the frontier at their backs in support a large body of the Queen's troops, their avowed object being to overthrow the government of the earl of Arran, whose great enemy, the earl of Maxwell, has also raised a force and was on his way to join the rebels. The King (of Scotland) had consequently decided to retire to the earl of Huntly's house, but, on hearing that the latter earl and some Catholic Scotch priests had persuaded Maxwell, who professes to be a Catholic, how bad it was for him to rise with rebels against the King solely on account of his enmity to the earl of Arran, the King returned to Stirling, and Maxwell had joined Huntly. The King had sent what forces he could raise to strengthen the two earls, who were between the castle of Stirling and the abbey of Abroath, where the rebels were lying, the intention of the King being to engage them as his forces were the stronger.—Paris, 29th November 1585.