Simancas: December 1586, 1-10

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

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'Simancas: December 1586, 1-10', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586, ed. Martin A S Hume( London, 1896), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol3/pp669-670 [accessed 4 December 2024].

'Simancas: December 1586, 1-10', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586. Edited by Martin A S Hume( London, 1896), British History Online, accessed December 4, 2024, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol3/pp669-670.

"Simancas: December 1586, 1-10". Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586. Ed. Martin A S Hume(London, 1896), , British History Online. Web. 4 December 2024. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol3/pp669-670.

December 1586, 1-10

5 Dec.
Paris Archives, K. 1564. 237.
519. Document headed : "Advices from England."
Reports from London say that Leicester has arrived there, accompanied by Drake and deputies from Holland and Zeeland, who were going to petition the Queen to take them entirely as her subjects. They had given Leicester 7,000 groat-pounds in money as a present and a golden cup, and had also settled upon him an income of 10,000 groat-pounds a year, secured on the best and most easily realisable property in Holland and Zeeland.
7 Dec.
Paris Archives, K. 1564. 239.
520. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King.
Since my last despatch about England, letters dated 24th ultimo have been received from there reporting that Parliament had adjudged the queen of Scotland to be deserving of the death punishment, in accordance with the declaration which the Privy Council had already made, in the same form as that made by the Parliament on the rising of the duke of Norfolk, when the queen of Scotland was condemned. Twenty-six Earls and Barons, and forty-six gentlemen who represent the towns and counties in Parliament, went to give an account of their decision to the Queen (of England), and the Lord Chancellor, as their spokesman, made a long harangue, to the effect that not only was the queen of Scotland worthy of death, but that for the sake of her own personal safety and the tranquillity of her realm, it was necessary for the Queen to have the sentence carried into effect. The Queen replied, thanking them warmly for the solicitude they showed for her safety, and in acknowledgment of the same she prayed God to give her grace to govern them well, and adopt the resolution which might be most advantageous to the quietude of her realm. The matter which they had laid before her she said was one of much importance, because, in the first place, she would have to lay hands on a woman, a near relative of her own, and an anointed sovereign, who was, connected by ties of kinship with the greatest monarchs in christendom, and she (the queen of England) was of opinion that it would be well, before deciding, to listen to what was said by the ambassadors sent by the Christian King and the king of Scotland ; and with this she dismissed them. I understand that she has given orders that directly Belièvre arrives in England, the rumour is to be spread that the queen of Scotland has been killed, in order to discover how he takes it. Belièvre, however, has been forwarned of it, and has his instructions as to what he should say when the news is told him. It is a plan of Cecil's, arising out of the desire (as I wrote to your Majesty) to sell to the French, on the best terms they can, what they do not dream of carrying out. The English and French will have no difficulty in agreeing on the point, because the King (of France) and his mother are very well pleased that the queen of Scotland should be alive and a prisoner, in order to prevent the succession of your Majesty to the English throne, whilst the English see clearly that the many advantages accruing to them from keeping the queen of Scotland prisoner would change into as many dangers if they made away with her. There is news that Belièvre has embarked at Calais, and that the ambassador from the king of Scotland had arrived in London, with orders to make every possible effort to preserve the life of his King's mother, in conjunction with the French ambassador, by whose advice he is to be ruled. These letters from London say nothing of armaments or fitting out of ships, but report the bringing to London as prisoners of most of the principal people of the county of York, such as Constable, Methan (?), Stapleton, Baboser (?), and Chatorne (?), accused of complicity in the late conspiracy against the Queen, they having offered to raise troops in favour of the queen of Scotland.—Paris, 7th December 1586.
7 Dec.
Paris Archives, K. 1564. 240.
521. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King.
[Extract.]
The duke of Parma has sent a gentleman hither, named Hugo Oen, to speak to the Dutch captain who offers to surrender Brille and perform the two other services I have mentioned. His orders are to ask the captain to get the herring fishery brought to Dunkirk, in return for hostages, and he shall be paid the sum of money he requests. As for Brille, as the English and rebels are superior in numbers, and he, the Duke, cannot send help, he doubts the possibility of holding it, and is disposed to decline the captain's offer. Mendoza at great length argues to the King that the Duke is mistaken. He (Mendoza) is the only old officer of the duke of Alba left, and he pits his special knowledge of the country against that of the duke of Parma, insisting that the possession of Brille is of more importance even than that of Flushing. He urges with much vehemence that the Dutch captain's offer should be accepted, and writes a private letter to Idiaquez to the same effect. He says he has quite convinced the duke of Parma's envoy that he is right, and the latter asks Mendoza to supply the captain with money in order that he may go back to Brille and arrange with his friends, and then go to the duke of Parma to settle the time for the execution of the project, when the money shall be paid to him. He has accordingly given the captain 200 crowns, on the assurance that the Duke would repay him. The captain is delighted, and leaves his nephew here as a hostage.—Paris, 7th December 1586.