|
| March 1. | Stafford to Burghley. |
|---|
| "I have written to Mr. Secretary with a bleeding heart the
pitiful death of the Prince of Conde, which is here assured by
a messenger expressly sent from Malicorne, the governor of
Poitou. The matter doth so much grieve me for my particular
love to him and the great loss that I know the public cause,
and especially Religion suffereth by him, that I was never so
far out of quiet with nothing. Your lordship shall find it the
greatest blow that could have been happened to Religion, for
. . . he was the man that they only were out of hope of to
draw from it; and the jealousy of him kept the King of Navarre
in. I pray God I write not too true, and that you see not the
effects [there] of." I have written at large to Mr. Secretary
of this and of another thing which I know not whether he
will communicate to your lordship, and which therefore I write
to you also, but pray you to take no knowledge of it if he do not
mention it to you; which is, "that the jealousy between the
Prince of Condé and the King of Navarre of his greatness, if
the King of Navarre should have retired him[self], hath been
more cause than anything else of the keeping of the King
of Navarre in from 'fleeting,' as I have written unto you ere
now, and which I know assuredly and from his own folks; and
besides, I can assure you that the King holdeth himself very
assured of the King of Navarre now. I will hope that God
will give him grace and keep him the minister of his glory,
but for avoiding the worst, the only pillar now of them of
Religion, I dare warrant you is the Vicomte Turenne. If
there be any means to be found that her Majesty underhand
may assure him of her friendship and strengthen him, he is
the only man that can keep that party assured; and perchance
the jealousy of his greatness with that party keep the King
of Navarre in the longer. Or if that be not, the strengthening
of him with courage and assurance is the best strength that they
of the Religion can have now, and the chiefest pillar that they
must rest upon. . . ." |
|---|
| But if you think of doing anything therein, heed must be taken
that Buzanval knows it not; "for he is Plessis' creature, who is
the contrary party to the Vicomte Turenne, and is so ambitious
that he striveth against him, though openly he dare not, underhand he doeth all he can to cross any thing. I love Plessis
well, but I am sorry to see so much ambition reign in them
that do take so fair a colour of Religion. I am afraid that God
is offended too much; he showeth great tokens of it." |
|---|
| If you think there is reason in this and cannot find means
to make it known to the Vicomte, whatever you send to me,
I will have delivered to him safely. |
|---|
| "I have sent you a little thing made upon M. Joyeuse's funeral
by a good fellow . . . It hath been cried in this town and stomached at, but the King would needs have it run still and would
not suffer it to be called in."—Paris, 1 March, 1587. |
|---|
| Postscript. "Both they here and they of the Religion and
from Geneva and all places do rail at our commissioners going
and our peace treating. For my part, I do think that the
treaty of peace will come to nothing; and that the King of
Spain doth but think to deceive and win time, yet I would
be 'loft' [i.e. loth] they should put any bees in our heads
with cunning, as I have written to Mr. Secretary." |
|---|
| Holograph. Add. Endd. by Burghley. 2 pp. [France
XVIII. 25.] |
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| March 1. | Stafford to Walsingham. |
|---|
| "With as much grief of mind as ever I did suffer for anything in my life, I write unto your honour . . . the pitiful
news that is come hither to the King upon Tuesday at night
from M. Mallicorne from Niort of the pitiful death of the Prince
of Condé, who, as he writeth, died at St. John d'Angeli on
Sunday at four o'clock in the afternoon, poisoned (as he supposeth) with an extreme poison, for that he cast all by the
eyes and the nose, and was sick but from eight o'clock in the
morning till four of the clock in the afternoon, though, as
he saith, some thought it to be an aposthume that was in his
ear, which hath long since caused a deafness, that brake out
. . . There is some hope . . . that this [news] may be false,
both because M. Mallicorne hath sent many false things hither,
and very false; the other, the circumstance of the time and
the distance of the places maketh us to hope somewhat, for
. . . he was to have the news brought from St. John d'Angeli
to Niort, which is fourteen long leagues and foul way, and no
posts; and from Niort to Poictiers, fourteen other long leagues
of that country . . . and from Poictiers hither; and all this
from Sunday at four of the clock in the afternoon, till Tuesday
at six o'clock at night; it is a thing that is not impossible,
but I think it be next door to it. Now . . . I will also tell
you the likelihood that it is true, for the King is else greatly
abused by Mallicorne, for he believeth it, so that the next
day in the morning he sent Villequier to tell it to the Court
of Parliament, who, I can assure you made no rejoice in the
world about it, and, to tell you more (which you will perchance
thinks a wonder) the whole generality in this town, if it be
not some devilish affected Leaguish persons, do mourn him.
As for the King, he is of an humour that it cannot be well
known, neither by his face nor his words, whether he grieve
or rejoice at anything; but these were his words at the receipt
of the letter . . . 'Here be strange news. I cannot be sorry
that he is dead, because that he was not obedient to me, but
I am sorry for the manner of it; that a prince should be
poisoned.' And when one or two that were by swore by no
small oaths: Il estoit bien le plus opiniastre de tous, mais il
estoyt le plus homme de bien de tous, et de qui vous eussiez
plus tyré de service si vous en eussiez eu affaire (comme vous
en pourrez bien avoyr devant que on le panse): the King
answered never a word but only nodded his head very soberly.
And I have done what I can to know how he is in private,
and I cannot hear but that [he] is not contented with it, though
openly he cannot nor must not show discontentment, but rather
of the two contentment. I have been advertised . . . that Villeroy should say that it is the greatest and best news that
ever came to Christendom. I will know the truth of it; but
if it be, I dare protest I will abhor the man as I would do
the devil himself . . . for I do think in my conscience (and
I do think I did know him so thoroughly well as few men
can better) that there was never an honester man of his degree,
nor upon whose faith, conscience, honesty and word I would
more have builded, nor upon his constancy in religion; and
if you do not find that the surest pillar that the Religion had
in France be gone, if he be dead, never trust word I say to
you again. . . . |
|---|
| "This I protest to you, and God confound me if from the
bottom of my heart I speak it not, that having but one son
in the world, whom God may and I hope will make one day
an honest man; if with all my heart it had pleased him to
have taken him, to have let the other alone, if I would not
thank him of my knees; not so much for mine own particular
love to the man, though I did very much love him, and next to
her Majesty above any prince in the world (though indeed of
late I have not been so much beholding to him, but I lay not
the fault upon him) but in respect that I do know the man;
what was in him; what a loss the public cause, all honest men
in Christendom, and especially Religion hath lost of him, if he
be dead, as I fear it too much." |
|---|
| There came two posts upon Sunday in great diligence; one
from Rome and another from Venice. He from Rome came in
seven days, and Villeroy being at his house twelve leagues
hence, the post did not (as usual) address himself to one of
the other secretaries, but went to him. All Monday and Tuesday there were discourses what he had brought. Among the
best, it was thought certainly that the Pope was dead, and the
Nuncio was and still is in an agony. Yesterday two came to me,
out of whom I sometimes draw some quintessance, perchance
not with their good wills, for they are both hangers upon the
Queen Mother. They both agreed in one tale, that both the
posts had brought secret news to the King "that the Pope had
at the length entered with the King of Spain into the League
against her Majesty; that he would get as many princes of
Christendom in as he could; that he had sent to the Venetians
to have them to enter into it, and pressed them greatly to
it; that upon that, they had sent for the French ambassador
there and signified this unto him, and had desired him to send
to the King his master to know his will, and what he would
do, . . . for they would govern themselves according to his
resolution; and that that was the cause of the despatch of the
courier that came from Venice." |
|---|
| I thanked them both for their news and told them I would
presently advertise it. They also said that there was news come
out of Spain that the army would depart on the 15th of this
month without fail. Within an hour, another came and told
me the same. I will inquire into these things and if true,
advertise you further. |
|---|
| I thought fit to advertise you who these men belong to, as also
what humours they of both Religions be of here, now against the
going of our commissioners and our treaty with Spain. The
two first belonged to Queen Mother and the last depended somewhat that way, but in particular to the King of Navarre and
his Catholic faction. From this you may judge of them with
more wisdom than I can. "Though the advertisement be not
to be despised nor condemned (for of the Pope and the King
of Spain both there must be the worst looked for at their
hands that may be); and though for my part, as you know, I
never had opinion of the King of Spain's direct meaning in
this treaty but to deceive and win time . . . yet I would be
loth they should make me here swallow such a 'goujen' [i.e.
gudgeon] . . . and false advertisement under the colour of friendship, to make me serve the turn cunningly, to help to break
that which I know they seek all the ways they can to do, and
. . . to kill us with cunning. And, which maketh me more to
suspect this is . . . that within these four days, one of the same
two first persons hath caused the King Don Antonio's man
here to write to his master (and I know Queen Mother was
the commander of it) to request Don Antonio to use all the
means possible to her Majesty to impeach the going of the
commissioners, and if he could not impeach it quite, to be a
mean to stay their going for some few days; that they did
expect news out of Italy that would perchance break it quite
. . . and this I know further, that Queen Mother (I cannot tell
whether the French King know of it [but] I promise you I
rather think no than yes) hath both written to the French ambassador in England and hath made his man write to him
[Antonio] from hence, to put him in jealousy of his abode
in England, if this treaty go forward, and to persuade him to
come hither, and (to play small game afore they sit out) if
he will not himself come, at the least to send his eldest
son hither; that that will impeach it somewhat, though not so
much as his own coming. This assure yourself of upon my
word to be true. |
|---|
| "There is yesterday letters come to the Spanish ambassador
of the Marquis Santa Crux' death of certain and the Duke of
Sidónia putting in his place, and that, they fear, will hinder
the time of the advancement of the army. |
|---|
| "The news that I think they expected out of Italy was some
jar to fall out between the Duke of Florence and the King of
Spain, which is piqued on by the Pope and is marvellously
fomented here; for the Pope would fain have the King of
Spain to do it, to drive the Duke of Florence to cast himself
into his arms, that by that means he may make him marry his
niece, whom he seeketh by all means to match with him, and
whom he altogether disdaineth; and besides, since he was Duke,
hath showed less to set by the Pope than any other prince or
state of Italy; and hath answered him more stoutly than any
others durst dare about bandits that he hath asked him, and when
the Pope hath thought to have had his will of him by threatening and big words, as he had used with others, he answered
him very stoutly that he was not now a Cardinal only, but he
was Duke of Tuscany and sovereign, (fn. 1) that except his obedience
to the See of Rome, he acknowledged nothing but as far as
he would himself, and would never acknowledge other duty. |
|---|
| "The quarrel that is but kindling between the King of Spain
and him, and which they would fain set on fire here, is about
Sienna, which he [the King] pretendeth he may demand for
want of payment of 700,000 crowns, and besides, for a forfeit
that his brother the last Duke hath made for marrying his last
wife without the licence of the King of Spain, which he was
bound unto by his investiture by Charles the Fifth. Fain would
they set the King of Spain and this Duke of Florence together,
hoping that he, being a man of courage and 'value' [valour]
as he is taken, if there were a jar, would trouble him in Italy,
having found those great riches that he hath done, to help to
maintain his courage. They give out some speech here that
the King of Spain hath stayed prisoner in Spain Don Pietro
de Medicis his brother, who he had sent for to come to Florence,
under colour of 'Colone' (fn. 2) and others that were killed there,
which they lay to him, but I cannot yet tell whether it be true. |
|---|
| "Whilst I was writing this letter, I sent to the Venice ambassador to know whether he heard any thing of this league so
fresh between the Pope and the King of Spain and of the
Pope's sending to the Venetians about it, and their sending
hither; and what these two posts to his knowledge had brought
that came from Rome and Venice. |
|---|
| "He sent me word that he would take occasion to go himself
this afternoon to the Pope's Nuncio, of purpose to see what
he could know of him for the league. For any fresh thing
done between the Pope and the King of Spain, it was a thing
that might be, but he did not believe it, for by the last ordinary of all, he did assure me of his word, there was neither
any such matter or likelihood; but that the Pope had such
capricious humours as that it might be, since he might be taken
in one of them and have done it; but for having sent any
such thing to Venice, or their having sent for the ambassador
there to use any such speech to him, that he assured me
upon his honour was a thing false and never thought upon. That
first he assured me the Pope had not sent to them any such
thing; next that if that did come hereafter, that France had
showed too evil example of their own government for them to
be ruled in anything by their example . . . . . |
|---|
| "Tuesday was M. Joyeuse's and his brother's burial, which
in all sorts was as Monsieur's was, save some things which he
could not have, but one thing he had more than Monsieur had,
besides his 'picture' carried in the same order upon a bed of
estate, he had a great huge chariot wherein his body itself
was carried, which Monsieur had not.—Paris, 1 March, 1587. |
|---|
| Postscript. "Even now came to me the Venice ambassador's secretary, who told me that his master had found the
Nuncio in as much pain as he to-know what great extraordinary
thing this post had brought with his great haste, for he was
acquainted with nothing he had brought but only the 'dispense'
for the Grand Prior of Toulouse, M. Joyeuse's brother to
marry, which point I know to be true but he said that
could not have required this extraordinary haste; that he
was in jealousy of it, and thought it was about some matter
about the King of Navarre which he knoweth the ambassador
there and the Cardinal Lenencourt manage underhand with the
Pope without his privity, and that he is in a great choler and
melancholy at it." I will inquire more of these things, and as
I know anything worthy your knowledge, will advertise you
thereof. |
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| Holograph. Add. Endd. 6 pp. [France XVIII. 26.] |
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| March 1/11. | Advertisements from Paris. |
|---|
| "The death of the Prince of Condé is assured by letters from
Rochelle, but no further circumstances, nor whether there be
any taken; and it is reported there are two." |
|---|
| The Duke d'Aumale, notwithstanding his promise to the King
to dismiss his companies, keeps them; and two other regiments are come to him from the Duke de Guise, and are all
in the suburbs of Abbeville. The King seems greatly offended,
and has sent Chemeraulx to him again, and caused all his foot
and the Swissers to march towards Picardy, being assured of
being at Amiens within a month. |
|---|
| Ballagny, governor of Cambray, suspecting the Duke of Guise's
kind offer to come to the christening of his child, has imprisoned his lieutenant, and Fonteneilles, his near kinsman,
who have confessed that the Duke practised with them to deliver the town. The said Duke will not come hither, but is
gone to Rheims, where they make a solemn service for the
Queen of Scots. |
|---|
| "They make great levies in Germany and there is hope they
will revenge the matter of Montbelliard upon Lorraine, and
also that they will thoroughly attend to the succour of Bonne." |
|---|
| The Emperor has forbidden the Princes of Germany "to stir
in the matter of Montbeliard, and that he will see satisfaction
done, but the Princes interested levy still." |
|---|
| Endd. 1¼ pp. [Newsletters IX. 37.] |
|---|
| See below, pp. 540–541. |
|---|
| March 4. | Buzanval to Burghley. |
|---|
| I thought to see you in London, but your affairs prevented it.
Fearing to importune you by my presence, I write this word
to accompany the letters I have received from Germany. |
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| You may remember that I lately showed you the news I had
received of the King of Navarre, and amongst other things, that
he had sent the Sieur de Reaux into Switzerland and Germany. |
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| The enclosed [wanting] are of his arrival there, and the Instruction carried by him. |
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| I pray you to understand two things; one, the small reason
one has to blame the King of Navarre for not having joined his
foreign army; the other that there is method in our negotiations
and it was not a mere feigned thing; as I had already declared
to you from the letters I had received from Montauban. Yet
I know that the Queen is little satisfied with my master because
she so seldom receives news from him. I wish she were really
angry, for it would show that she loved him; but alas we can
send her nothing but lamentations and appeals for aid; and
this we cannot beg for without vexing her. |
|---|
| Believe me, the King of Navarre is today in such case that his
silence holds words and prayers enough to those who choose
to listen. I conceived some small hope from the last words
her Majesty spoke to me, and by the letters (though they were
very feeble) which she wrote to my master; but from what I
have since seen and heard I fear that my too hasty confidence
may have misled this good Prince to believe that there was a
possible means of providing for his affairs. For since sending
that letter, I have seen no movement for aiding them in any
way whatever. His affairs are the same that you thought should
be assisted a year or two ago. He is the same Prince, but
has made himself more illustrious by a thousand toils sustained, and by an incomparable constancy. They are the same
enemies, save that they are more powerful and determined by
reason of our weaknesses, and more united because of our
divisions. I see only that they take less heed of us than formerly
and that instead of only having to make head against an enemy
in France, they are stirring up another in the Low Countries
and Spain to strike us on the flank by the peace being treated
of in the Low Countries. I do not believe this is the intention
of her Majesty nor of you others, but it will be our calamity,
if this peace is made, whether you wish it or no. And at the
least, receiving this affliction on the one side (which the King
of Navarre will bear patiently if it brings comfort to her Majesty)
if we were aided to support the burden put upon us, a prince so
zealous might take courage; but seeing only despair, it cannot
be thought strange if for extreme evils, one uses extreme remedies, and it is cruelty to demand from one's friends more than
they can do. |
|---|
| This is only by way of lamentation; and not to bring an action
against her Majesty, which I should always lose. Also to advertise you that all things still maintain themselves intact, but
that if the apprehensions which a Prince may conceive both of
her Majesty's coldness towards him, and her ardour in the
matter of the peace with Spain are not soothed, very great
difficulties may arise as time goes on.—London, 4 March, 1587. |
|---|
| Holograph. Add. Endd. by Burghley. "M. de Buzenval,
with letters from Almayn." French. 2 pp. [France XVIII.
27.] |
|---|
| [March 5?] | Queen to the French King. |
|---|
| Being always glad of an opportunity to write to him, she has
not wished to let pass so good a one as is offered by Madame
de Chasteauneuf's return to assure him of her desire for the
maintenance of their friendship; praying God to aid him so to
order his affairs as may be both for the divine honour and his
own, and the general relief of his kingdom. And as Madame
de Chasteauneuf has much pleased her by her virtuous deportment, she must not omit to bear the testimony which is due to
her; having found her a lady adorned with all good virtues,
for which she will be honoured, even after her departure.
Undated.
Draft. French. ¾ p. [France XVIII. 28.] |
|---|
| [March 5?] | Queen Elizabeth to the Queen Mother. |
|---|
| [Compliments, as to the King.] |
|---|
| "Pour le regard de Madame de Chasteauneuf, elle nous a
donné si grand contentement de sa vertueuse conversation pardeça que nous ne la laissons qu'a regret; et fault que nous
confessions qu'elle a bien monstré la nourriture qu'elle a prinse
de vous, dont elle laisse ici une reputation qui la rend honoreé
mesmes en son absence. Ce nonobstant et que l'amitié que nous
luy portons nous commande de luy pourchasser tout bien et
plaisir; si fault il que nous luy jouyons ung petit tour de
trahison d'amye (non toutefois sans son sceu, n'y comme font
les trahistres malins). C'est qu'en ses requestes, vous luy en
laissez quelques uns non accordées, affin qu'il puisse rester
moyen de la faire revenir encores par de ça. |
|---|
| "Au reste Madame, nous prions Dieu incessament et a mains
joinctes vouloir tellement assister le roy vostre fils qu'il puisse
redresser ce qui est de mal en ordre en son royaume, a l'honneur de Dieu et du sien, et au bien universel de tout son
peuple; a quoy ne faisons doubte que ne teniez la main, comme
le but auquel seule vous visez. . . ."Undated.
Draft. ¾ p. [France XVIII. 29.] |
|---|
| March 5. | Draft, much corrected, for the following letter.—Greenwich,
March blank 1587. |
|---|
| [Below are some attempts, apparently, to copy the first letters
of Elizabeth's signature.]
Endd. "To the French Queen, [illeg.] 5th, 1587." French,
¾ p. [France XVIII. 30.] |
|---|
| March [5.] | Queen Elizabeth to the Queen regnant of France. |
|---|
| Assurances of friendship, and praise of Madame de Chateauneuf, to much the same effect as above.—March, 1587. |
|---|
| Endd. French. ½ p. [Ibid. XVIII. 31.] |
|---|
| (fn. 3) [March 5?] | Queen Elizabeth to the Same. |
|---|
| "I know not whether Madame Chasteauneuf shall receive
greater contentment in leaving this our poor island, not furnished with such pleasure as France yieldeth, than we grief to
lose the benefit of the conversation of one in whom we took
so great delight; whose rare parts have been answerable to the
commendation you gave of her by your letter written in her
favour; and therefore cannot but recommend her to your good
favour as most worthy to be always in company of a great
princess. And so, Madam I should do Madame Chasteauneuf
great wrong if I should not by my letters confess unto you
how greatly I was contented with her company, as a lady
thoroughly furnished with such rare virtues as doth make her
an ornament in any prince's court. I fear that the defects of
this poor island, having not given (?) any such contentment
unto her as France yieldeth, hath made her hasten her departure hence, where notwithstanding, through her virtuous deportment, she hath left, not only with us but with all that
knew her that reputation as she may have cause in that respect
the better to disjest the incommodities that this rude island
yieldeth." |
|---|
| Draft by Walsingham. English. 1 p. [France XVIII. 32.] |
|---|
| March 6. | [David Cabreth] to Walsingham. |
|---|
| By my last letter, I made rehearsal of certain English gentlemen here in Calles, and to come over for England; as
I [think?] it was the Earl of Northumberland's brother,
one Alford's son of London, and two others, whose [names?] I
cannot learn. They presently departed for Paris. Enclosed is
a letter [from] John Dowse, who today is also gone towards Paris.
At the present writing, I have two ships of coals to depart
from hence to Don[kirk], "which I have bought here only to have
a just me [an to] go thither, to see and understand so far as in
[me] lieth, any certainty of their pretended practises [against]
the State of our country, and so mindeth to adv[enture] . . .
and my Lord Cobham where he is. From thence Twhine is
gone to Rouen or Dieppe where he lie [awaiting?] letters
for Rye. He dare not come hither. He [never?] haunted
amongst us. If it please your h[onour there] may be letters from
him intercepted there. [John?] Dicinson, servant to Mr. Lee,
draper, can inform [your] honour unto whom he hath sent his
letters [writ] in the time of his being here, for he told
me [he] could intercept his letters if he would, but that [he]
taketh Twhine to be so honest a man as there c[annot] be any
such thing in his letters which may deser[ve] intercepting.—
Calles, 6 March, 1587. |
|---|
| Add. Endd. "From A.B., from Calles." 1 p. [France
XVIII. 33.] |
|---|
| [In Cabreth's handwriting, torn; cf. letters of March 29 and 31
below.] |
|---|
| March 6/16. | Certificate by Christopher Borcholte and Caspar Moller, sena
tors and consuls of Hamburg, that on the date below written, on
demand of Andrew Berendes sen. in the name of his son An
drew Berendes jun. and of Daniel Brandas and Hermann Stoven,
citizens of the same:—Wilhelm Saell and Lutkins Hinsche, also
citizens of the same personally appeared before them and solemnly answered to the following articles:—[i.e. 14 articles answered
by Hinsche and 2 by Saell, concerning the taking of their ship
by one of Dunkirk and an English captain in July, 1586. Certified by a Hamburg notary on this date. 8 pp. Latin. Hamburg and Hanse Towns, III., 1.] |
|---|
| March 6/16. | J. Wrothe to Walsingham. |
|---|
| Has received the two enclosed packets in one week, one of
which seems to be very old. Knowing that Mr. Poole, according
to his honour's appointment, will inform him of all occurences,
he has retired to Padua, where he will have more quiet for his
studies, and the seldomer trouble his honour with his frivolous
letters. |
|---|
| All things are quiet in Italy, and no preparation for any warlike execution. Fear of the Turkish admiral's going to sea "will
keep them more at home, for the better looking to their own
house, but whether this be meant of the Turk or no, yet the
suspicion thereof will in some part further her Majesty's proceedings against the King of Spain." |
|---|
| [On the expectation of Sir Fras. Drake's going to sea, as in
his previous letter.] All the King of Spain's fair shows of a
desire for peace "are thought to be but his accustomed delusions, with the which he hopeth not only to clear himself to
the world from the suspicion of aspiring to the monarchy of
Christendom, but also will thereby taste her Majesty's mind
whether she will let anything go out of her hands or no; the
which, if he cannot obtain, yet he shall (by protracting of time
with this treaty of peace) have the more leisure to restore his
ruined army . . . and the better hope of executing his former
designs; but . . . by her Majesty's readiness to treat of such
a peace as may stand with the security of her estate, she showeth
unto the world the true cause which compelled her to begin the
war . . . . |
|---|
| "Sir Francis Drake's going to sea will no doubt much hinder
the traffic of the Indies, the only nurse and maintainer of the
King of Spain's estate. |
|---|
| "There is now no more talk of the marriage between the
Duke of Parma's eldest son and the Pope's niece, but a new
rumour is spread of another match to be made between the
Duke of Florence and the Duke of Lorraine's daughter (fn. 4) which
is in the court of France . . . but I can hardly persuade myself that it will ever be intended by him. But the marriage
(which was talked of) between him and one of the Archduke
Charles' daughters is somewhat more probable . . ." |
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| The hundred thousand ducats which (long ago) I wrote that
this Signoria had promised to lend the King of France are not
yet paid, and there is some difficulty about it. The Signoria
will lend it with the promised assurance, but the King would
borrow it upon his simple word only. The Emperor wished
to borrow as much, but it was denied him. The dislikers of
the Spaniard's proceedings daily increase in this commonwealth, and that amongst those of the best sort.—Padua, 16
March, 1588. |
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| Add. Endd. 1¾ pp. [Venice I. 26.] |
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| March 7. | Buzanval to Burghley. |
|---|
| Our merchants cannot resolve as to the purchase of the grain.
They have sent to see when they may most conveniently receive
it, in order to name ports where they may load it with the
least murmuring of the people. Also they wish to have fresh
advices from Rochelle, to know whether the scarcity still con
continues there. |
|---|
| However, Mr. Jonas, captain of Portland, has told me that he
could send two hundred quarters of corn which he has in his
castle; [taken] from a Spanish prize, which was brought there
two months ago by a Rochelle captain. I know that he has
about this quantity, and pray you to grant a letter, addressed to
the said Jonas for the loading of 200 quarters of corn for
Rochelle in the ports "d'Oeuemut ou Hanton" [i.e. Weymouth or
Southampton.]—London, 7 March, 1587. |
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| Holograph. Add. Endd. French, 1 p. [France XVIII. 34.] |
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