Simancas: January 1586 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1896.

'Simancas: January 1586', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586, (London, 1896) pp. 556-557. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol3/pp556-557 [accessed 11 April 2024]

January 1586



1586. 8 Jan. Paris Archives, K. 1564. 31.	420. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King. [Extract.] On the 29th ultimo, I wrote to your Majesty by a Frenchman confirming my previous advices of the representations made by the English ambassador to this King (of France), as to the danger which might result from continuing this war, (fn. 1) having regard to the house of Guise, of which it behoved him to be as suspicious as she (Queen Elizabeth) was, as they were his greatest enemies, and were upheld by him who was the enemy both of God and of England. She undertook that the prince of Bearn would accept reasonableconditions, and would obey him (the king of France) as a good brother and loyal subject should. But if the contrary happened, she could hardly avoid helping the Huguenots, and checking the aggrandisement of the Guises. The ambassador dealt at length on this, and the King replied that he would discuss the matter with his mother, and would then give an answer through Secretary Pinart. During the next three days the ambassador talked on the matter with Secretary Villeroy, and subsequently Secretary Pinart went to him with the King's answer. This was to the effect that he, the King, was as much master of his realm as the Queen was mistress of hers, and that her intervention between him and his vassals was uncalled for. He was quite strong enough, moreover, to prevent the exercise of any other religion than the Catholic in his country. These replies are given by common agreement, for the purpose of throwing dust into the eyes of the Nuncio and other ministers here ; and the truth is that, as the English ambassador here says, the French ambassador in England actually requested the Queen, in the name of his master, to take the step she did ; which he (the English ambassador?) told the Huguenots he was sorry to do, as Bearn was informed that it would not be beneficial to them for the Queen of England to offer her mediation in this fashion. The news is confirmed by her having sent the son of a bishop to Germany, to cause the retention of the money destined for the levies, in the confidence that peace would be concluded without need for them. The negotiations still continue, and most of the ministers represent them as being unavoidable, whilst the King and his mother assure the Nuncio that they will not consent to peace, except on the condition that no other religion but the Catholic shall be exercised in any part of the realm.—Paris, 8th January 1586.
8 Jan. Paris Archives, K. 1564. 32.	421. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King. Since my last reports with regard to England, letters dated 25th December have been received, advising the going of the earl of Leicester in great haste to Holland, in consequence of the news reaching him that the Spaniards are bogged near Bois-le-Duc. I send herewith a list of the people who went over with him. Both from England and Zeeland the news is confirmed of a great mortality amongst the English. They write from London that the Queen has issued a proclamation, ordering all Spaniards resident in the country to leave it within a given time, both men and women, and that her subjects are to have no communication with those of your Majesty for eight months, under heavy penalties. I have no confirmation of this, and consequently am not certain about it, except that previously a large number of ships had been sent out by Englishmen in the names of Frenchmen and Scotsmen. I have made fuller inquiries about the 500 Spaniards, who I wrote to your Majesty were prisoners in England. The smallest number of them are in London, as they are mostly scattered about the various ports on the coast, where their ships have been brought in after being plundered. A parliament had been held in Ireland, and orders had been given by the Queen for the principal Catholics there to be arrested. The earl of Ormond writes from London that he is going back to Ireland much discontented, in consequence of his having been eight months there without the Queen's having granted him any favour or recompense for his services. News from Scotland report that the King was in the hands of the rebels, who had entered over the English border, and things were again in their former position. Claude Hamilton who is here and about to leave for Scotland had been restored in honours and estates.—Paris, 8th January 1586.