Highness will remain a good time. Thus, wishing your Lordship perfect health and long continuance, I humbly take my leave. From Greenwich, the 16th of May, 1560. Your good Lordship's, bounden at commandment. No. VI. (Cecil Papers, 1560.*) LORDS OF THE COUNCIL TO SIR WILLIAM CECIL AND DR. WOTTON. AFTER our right hearty commendations. The Queen's Majesty having received Letters out of Spain, from our very good Lord, the Viscount Montague, and Sir Thomas Chamberlain, her Majesty's Ambassadors there; albeit, her Highness finds nothing in them of any great importance, nor can thereby understand any certain or particular matter that may discover the King of Spain's meaning, but only in general terms an uncertain answer, grounded, for the more part, upon the self matter and arguments that have been, heretofore, as you know, alleged by the Bishop of Aquila ;+ yet hath her Highness thought good that the copy of the said letters should be sent unto you, which you shall receive herewith, to the Probably written on the 11th or 12th of June, soon after which the King of Spain's mediatory proposals were delivered in explicit terms. (See Haynes, 325-328.) His interference was very little attended to in the treaty. † Alvarez de Quadra, Bishop of Aquila, the Spanish Ambassador in Ordinary at the English Court. He died in London three years after. VOL. I. 2 c intent you may thereby see what the humour and disposition of those parties tend unto. Marry, two points, we think, to be of special consideration in the same letters; the one, that the Duke of Alva says plainly that all things that have been imparted here to the Bishop of Aquila have been by the said Bishop signified and written over only as talk passed here with the Queen's Majesty, without requiring on her Highness' behalf the King's advice therein. Whereby appears an indirect dealing on the Bishop's part; for, as you, Mr. Secretary, do very well know, the said King, before her Majesty's Ambassador's going over, was, by her Highness's express letters addressed unto him for that purpose, referred unto the report of the said Bishop for the understanding of the state of things, and the Queen's Majesty's meaning and proceedings here, whereof it appears no mention nor remembrance is had there now. The other special matter to be noticed is that the French King is content the King of Spain shall name umpires for the compounding of the differences between the Queen's Majesty and him ; and neither do we know what can have moved this offer, nor upon what ground the King of Spain has accepted the same, unless it is that he takes hold of the motion made by the Queen's Majesty to be content, for the satisfaction and recompense done unto her by the French King in using her Majesty's style and bearing of her arms, to stand to the arbitrement of some such indifferent persons as should be named by the said King of Spain. For the first point, it is meant the Bishop shall be talked withal here, and his manner of dealing herein plainly told him, in discharge of the Queen's Majesty's sincerity and upright meaning. And, for the second, it is thought good to be passed over in silence, without giving any answer thereunto, unless the same shall be specially moved unto the Queen's Majesty on the said King of Spain's behalf by his Ambassador; in which case such reasonable answer shall be devised for his satisfaction as may stand with the Queen's Majesty's honour. Herewith we send also unto you an article of a letter from Mr. Gresham, touching such advertisements as have been brought unto him, together with an abstract of certain intelligences sent from Shirley, whereby you may perceive the preparation that is towards in those parts; although we do not think all to be gospel that is reported from France. For the better meeting wherewith, in all events, the Lord Admiral is written unto, and the duplicate of the same advertisements sent unto him; for which purpose also you may use your knowledge thereof according to your good wisdoms. No. VII. (Cecil Papers. 1560) LORDS OF THE COUNCIL TO SIR WILLIAM CECIL AND DR. WOTTON. AFTER our right hearty commendations. We have received your letters of the 8th of this month,* and do thereby perceive what you have done with the French Commissioners upon your first meeting with them; wherein as you have very wisely and circumspectly begun, so mistrust we not but you will continue the like, and go forward in the same as occasion shall be offered. And where the Queen's Majesty received yesternight certain letters and intelligences out of France from Sir Nicholas Throgmorton, by Mr. Johns, her Highness' servant, dispatched hither expressly for that purpose, her Majesty has willed us to send the same unto you, which you shall receive herewith; that is to say, an instruction delivered by the said Johns touching the state of things in France, which he has opened unto her Highness in such sort as you may perceive by the same; certain intercepted letters sent by you, Mr. Secretary, to be decyphered by Mr. Somers; a memorial sent to the Dowager of Scotland; and a letter from Mr. Throgmorton unto you, which has been decyphered here. To the intent you may by the same gather out such matter as you shall think may best serve for the bringing to good pass of that * See it in Haynes, page 324. This letter, in answer to it, was written about the 14th of June. you have presently in hand. And albeit we mistrust not but you can by your own wisdom well enough note such points in the same letters and intelligences as are fittest to be provided for and considered, yet have we thought meet especially to put you in remembrance of two principal matters, whereof we think great consideration is to be had. We perceive, first, by the said intelligences, that the Dowager has not only victualled the castle of Edinburgh, but has also begun to new fortify the same; meaning, as by the contents of those letters and advertisements may be gathered, that if Leith shall be brought to any extremity, some sally in the night, or other practise, shall be attempted; to the intent thereby the chiefest persons within the town may escape to Edinburgh castle, which place it seems they make account to keep; and, therefore, special regard would be had to the preventing and meeting with that matter, if any such thing shall happen to be intended. It appears also that of late there have two principal persons escaped by sea out of Leith, and coming into France, whereat we cannot but much marvel; and, for the better looking to the like hereafter, it shall be well done you give knowledge thereof unto our very good Lord the Duke of Norfolk, to the intent he may give warning unto Mr. Winter * to cause better heed to be given henceforth to his charge. * William Winter, who commanded the fleet; afterwards knighted, and appointed Vice-Admiral. |