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| 4 June. |
163. The King to Bishop Quadra.
Your letters of 21st March received, and copies of yours to
Madame de Parma and Cardinal de Granvelle have been sent to me.
On the 28th May also arrived yours of 1st May sent through my
commissary at Bilbao, Juan Martinez de Recalde, by the Biscay ship.
This was an excellent thought, and I was very glad to learn the
particulars you send me about the state of affairs in England and
Scotland. I have been for some days considering and discussing
what can be done on my part to set matters right, and you shall be
informed of the resolution we may arrive at ; the principal object
of this letter being to acknowledge yours, and inform you of the
disturbed state of affairs in France ...(A long account
is given of the aid Philip had agreed to lend to the King and
Queen-Mother of France against the rebels.) You will inform the
queen of England of this, and justify our determination to her and
her Council, with the fair speeches and arguments you know how to
employ, without touching, on any account, any other reason which
they might suspect ; as prudence will show you this would not be
desirable. You will let us know how they take it there and what
you hear about it with your usual fulness. You will have heard
already of the illness of the Prince, my son, from a wound in the
head through a fall. It brought him so low that there were but
scant hopes for his life, but God always shows his clemency in such
extreme cases and deigned to preserve him. He is now improving,
and with the divine goodness will be well in a few days. We advise
you for your information and that you may inform the Queen.—
Aranjuez, 4th June 1562. |
6 June.
Brussels
Archives,
B. M. MS.,
Add. 28,173a. |
164. Bishop Quadra to the Duchess of Parma.
There is not much news about the preparation of the fleet, as
although the ships are ready, the stores waiting, and the crews
under orders, nothing is done, and I do not believe it will be until
they see how French affairs are going. If the heretics there prevail,
it is quite probable that these people may be moved to help them,
and without such aid I do not think they can do much, seeing their
lack of men and money and the disunion that exists in the country.
A secretary of the queen of Scotland (fn. 1) has arrived here to give an
account of Bothwell's plot, and it is said that he may probably go
on to France if the Queen will grant him a passport. The Swedish
ambassador is still in Scotland and will reside there.
So much violence and insult is offered to me here, that I have not
been able to refrain from writing to his Majesty about it, and
beseech your Highness to help me. I wish I could avoid giving
your Highness this annoyance, and I have done my best with that
object. All my efforts, however, have been fruitless to remedy the
wrong, and at last I am obliged to complain and suffer no longer so
great an insult. This Queen's ministers have got hold of a servant
of mine, who some years since was in Flanders on my affairs, and
have squeezed out of him all the secrets he knew of what I was
doing here, and not satisfied with this, they are trying to get him
back into my house again (he having left in consequence of a
quarrel of his own making) in order that they may be kept informed
through him of all I may do with regard to English affairs. I was
advised of this in good time to prevent any harm coming to me,
except by the stopping of my courier of which I wrote to your
Highness. I have requested the Queen to expel him (the servant)
from the country as a fugitive, or else, as he was in my employment,
that he shall be handed over to me. (fn. 2) Not only does she decline to
do either, but refuses me audience and rides the high horse, led away
as she is by the falsehoods of this man, and advised by enemies of
our lord the King. I beg your Highness to deign to consider,
whether it is not fitting that steps should be taken for the expulsion
of this man, or his surrender to me in accord with the treaties in
force between the Queen and his Majesty, and in case your Highness
wishes this to be done, send me at once the letters for the Queen.
As for the rest I shall be here to answer for all that I have done, as
I am quite sure that I have done nothing of which just complaint
can be made, nor can they say that I have fomented disturbance in
the country, or even in religious matters gone beyond what any
private person might lawfully do. I beseech your Highness not to
fail to aid me in a matter of such evil precedent and grave consequences,
as in addition to his Majesty's service my own honour
is concerned. Believe me, your Highness, it is of much greater
importance than I can say here, that this affair should be taken up.
I send this courier with orders that if means are not furnished
him there to go on to Spain he is to make the journey at my expense,
as I consider it my duty to inform his Majesty of the affair before
these people send their own version of it. The messenger was in my
house and has witnessed all that passed, and I therefore beg your
Highness to allow him to bear this despatch to his Majesty ; and I
beseech your Highness for my own sake to take the matter in hand
in the way that my devotion and loyalty have deserved.—London,
6th June 1562. |
6 June
Simuncas,
B. M. MS.,
Add. 26,056a. |
31. Bishop Quadra to the King.
On the first ultimo I wrote your Majesty a long letter by way of
Bilbao through Juan Martinez de Recalde. The ships which I wrote
to your Majesty were being got ready are now finished, and a large
store of munitions and victuals laid in, as if an important enterprise
were to be undertaken, but I do not believe any move will be made
whilst the affairs of the rebels in France are not more prosperous
than at present and until the English are given some place they can
fortify, although some of the councillors think the Queen should
move at once to encourage the French heretics and promote the
risings in Flanders. Others, however, seeing their small forces
and shortness of money, together with. the divided state of opinion
in the country, think better to stand in readiness to take advantage
of events in France, and I think the Queen is of this opinion,
notwithstanding that her hatred of the Guises and her suspicion of
their rule would prompt her to help their enemies. What stays her
is the fear she feels that she may incur your Majesty's displeasure,
and this keeps her quiet until a better opportunity arises.
Much is being said here lately about sending to the Concilio, and
they give out that it is their intention to accredit an ambassador to it.
Their intention was, as I have said, to stop the French bishops from
going, but having failed in that they are discussing the sending of
some people to represent the heretic churches here and in France in
order to protest, so that they may not be held as altogether
contumacious.
Lethington, the queen of Scotland's secretary, has come here this
week to give the Queen an account of what is being done about the
duke of Cnatelherault's and the earl of Bothwell's plot, and they
say the earl is in danger of his life for it. The duke has taken
refuge in Dumbarton Castle, and I think the Queen wishes to proceed
against them, but fears that this queen would hinder her by giving
help to them, as she is doing. The earl of Arran has been out of
his mind for some time, but they say he is better now.
This Queen cannot hide her fear that the queen of Scotland may
marry some person who may give trouble, and she went so far the
other day as to tell me that the Marquis d'Elbœuf and his servants
had publicly stated here that his niece would marry our prince
(Don Carlos). This was at the time when we had very bad news
of the health of His Highness, and she used a great many impertinent
expressions which I refrain from repeating, but answered as they
deserved.
The earl of Derby lately received a letter from your Majesty by
the hands of a carrier in his country, who said it was given to him
by a servant of the Count's (de Feria) in London, which servant
cannot now be found, nor can we discover where this letter came
from. The Earl sent the principal person in his household to ask
me about it, and to know what had moved your Majesty to write
him a letter so full of promises and favours. I said I knew nothing
whatever about it, which caused him great alarm. If I can get
the letter itself I shall see whether it is a forgery, and we can then
judge if it is a plan to discover whether the Earl has any understanding
with your Majesty. These suspicions are being aroused
in the Queen by those who wish to separate her from your Majesty
for their own ends.
Juan Pereira D'Antas, the Portuguese ambassador in France, has
come here to try and reform the patent given by this Queen last
year for the navigation to Ethiopia. He presented his written
petition with sound and good arguments, but they have answered
him as usual, and even worse, so that he was forced to reply,
although unwillingly. I have helped him all I can, but nothing will
bring these people to their senses. The substance of their answer
is that they (the English) claim to have a right to go to all lands
or provinces belonging to friendly States without any exception, and
those who forbid them to do so will be excluded from their (the
English) dominions.—London, 6th June 1562. |
| 6 June. |
166. The Same to the Same.
I have advised your Majesty several times of the behaviour they
have observed here since they knew I was interested in the marriage
of the Queen with Lord Robert, in order to make her suspicious of
me and embroil me with her because they feared she might be led
to restore religion by my persuasion.
They have lately adopted a means which has succeeded better than
the others, namely, that of seducing one of my servants. He
frequently went from me to Cecil on business, and the devil has
prevailed in him to such an extent, or the secretary's promises have
induced him, or for some other reason they have persuaded him to
leave my service and enter that of the Queen. This being arranged,
and it being necessary to find some colourable excuse for the change
he picked a quarrel with another of my servants, whom he mortally
wounded, and on the following day complaining of me, he went and
gave himself up to the palace people. After they had interrogated
him at length they found he would be more useful to them in my
house than out of it, so they sent him to try to re-enter my service
until there was something of importance to tell them. He tried
therefore to gain my pardon and again became a member of my
household. On the day he came back I was informed of all that
happened by B, a spy who was placed in his lodgings, and also by other
servants of the Queen and of Cecil and by Henry Sidney. Sidney
informed me of the arrangement that had been made, but although I
was convinced that he told me in all sincerity as my friend, and an
adherent of your Majesty, I feared that others might have informed
him knowing he would convey it to me in order to see if I took
any action. I decided to remain quiescent and watch for some proof
of what they told me. Very shortly afterwards they arrested George
Chamberlayn, a gentleman who is a friend of mine and was brought
up with M. Montague, (fn. 3) and a lawyer named Mariano Valent
who was in the habit of associating with me. They presently took
a courier whom I had sent to the duchess of Parma, and who they
thought was Gamboa, one of your Majesty's couriers here. They
thought he carried letters of mine for your Majesty and verbal messages
which they could get from him by torture. Those who took this
courier were two brothers and other servants of Lord Cobham who
were ordered to undertake it much against their will. In view of all
these indications and of other information which convinced me of
the had intentions of my servant, I still shrank from punishing him
by extraordinary means or sending him under arrest to Flanders, in
order to avoid scandal and for fear they should think I did it to prevent
the discovery of some important agreement, but I tried to send
him to Brussels, where he had been employed in my affairs the whole
time I have been here until about a year since. I could not get him
to go, however, nor would he go to his own house, so I was obliged
to dismiss him, and a few days afterwards I went to the Queen and
related what had taken place and how I had refrained from
punishing the man, so as to leave her no reason for thinking of me
what I knew many would like to persuade her to think. Since
however she has now been able to learn all the man had to tell
about what passed in my house I begged she would expel him from
the kingdom. She told me she knew nothing of all this but
would enquire, and if she found she could justly expel him she
would do so, but if he had committed no crime or she desired to
learn matters of importance to her State she did not know how she
could expel him. I asked her to reflect what a bad and scandalous
example it was, as this man had injured many in my house, but
I could not move her from her indecision. Two days afterwards she
sent to say that she had ordered the servant to be arrested in his house
so that I might ask him any questions I liked. I replied that I had
not requested that he should be arrested, but that he should either be
expelled or handed over to me as I could not place a servant on trial
in any other tribunals but those of your Majesty or in my own
house. Not only was this not done, but even the arrest was not
carried out, and he was set at liberty, and now never leaves the
palace, where they have him examined as they please every day. I
wished to speak to the Queen about it again, but they kept putting
off my audience from day to day, and I have thought well to despatch
Gamboa at once by way of Flanders so that Madame may be informed
of affairs by this letter and with full knowledge, which she may gain
from the messenger by word of mouth (he having been an inmate
of my house and witnessed all) send the courier on and advise me
also what I am to do pending the arrival of your Majesty's orders
how to deal with so gross and violent an act as this. This man will
probably have told them many things which he may have heard from
the persons who associate with me and some discourses which I have
in writing and which they cannot fail to hear with pleasure, but the
truth is that as for any treaty or agreement against the Queen or
any promise about such a thing, he can say nothing excepting falsely
because he knows nothing. He may also say that I have tried to
discover the truth of what happens here by every means in my
power, which indeed is my duty. It is impossible to ascertain the
real state of affairs by communication with any of the Queen's
household, for they look upon me as if I were the minister of their
greatest enemy, and even all those who are not members of the Council
are forbidden to enter my house. This is the real truth about the
matter, for if there were any other thing in which I was conscious
of having committed an error I have so great a confidence in your
Majesty's clemency that I am sure it would be forgiven if committed
without malice, but the fact is that there is nothing but the misfortune
of this bad man, who after serving me faithfully for eight
years and pretending to be a good Christian, has fallen to ruin in
this country through cupidity and loose living without a chance of
saving him. He was born in the Pope's dominions, but is a subject
of your Majesty by reason of certain grants I gave him in the
diocese of Aquila and in other parts of the kingdom of Naples. I
should not have employed him however, but that two of my
Spanish servants who were employed in affairs had died. I beg your
Majesty to pardon the inconvenience thus caused through no fault of
mine.
I have kept back this letter to see whether the Queen would
give me audience before she went to Greenwich, but she has gone
without doing so, and talking with the Portuguese ambassador, who
perhaps spoke to her of me, she was full of complaints and threats
If she wished to hear the truth about me she would soon lose her
anger, but if she chooses to give more credit to a varlet whom they
have bribed than to me I can only inform your Majesty of the facts.
She told the Portuguese ambassador that she would swamp all those
who wished to ruin her. I fear it will be difficult for me to
undeceive her myself, because, as I have said, the heretics she has
around her know no rest whilst I am in her good graces. I fancy
the anxiety which has been aroused in her by what this man has
said about the close understanding I have with the Catholics will
make her think of putting her own house in order instead of breeding
discord elsewhere, at all events for this summer.—London, 6th June
1562. |
167. Deposition of Damian De Dela in the matter of Bishop
Quadra's servant, Burghes Venturin.
On the 5th June 1562, in London, Damian de Dela, a Valencian,
a tailor by trade, residing in London, being interrogated by the
Right Reverend Bishop Alvaro de la Quadra, ambassador in England
of our lord the king of Spain, as to his knowledge of what had passed
between Burghes Venturin and Carlos del Sesso, both servants to
the said ambassador ; said that he (de Dela) being in the house of
a Burgundian, a neighbour of his, to visit his wife who was confined,
they heard a noise in the street, and on going out to see what it was
they found a large number of people of the neighbourhood and the
archers who were leading Burghes in custody. On Damian reaching
Burghes he asked him what was the matter and why they had
taken him prisoner, to which Burghes answered that he and
Carlos del Sesso had fought with knives and he thought he had
killed him. He begged Damian to try and save him, and prevent
him from being taken to prison, and the deponent therefore urged*
those who had him in custody and prevailed upon them to lead
him across the fields to Westminster in order to take him in a
boat from there to Durham Place, but when they had arrived at
Westminster Bridge they plied those who had charge of him so
hard with money that at last they let him go on parole. He was
then free, and slept that night in the house of Martin de la Sierra,
and on the following day went to an inn at Westminster where
they talked over what had occurred, and on Damian saying to
Burghes that it was lucky for him the stab he had given to
Carlos del Sesso was not mortal, as the ambassador would have
been very much grieved if it had been, he answered that even if
he had killed him he (Burghes) would not have suffered for it as
he had Secretary Cecil for his friend and others of the Queen's
household, and if the ambassador were to prosecute him he knew
of a remedy. Some days afterwards when Barghes had been
forgiven and was back again in the ambassador's house, he said
to the deponent in conversation that if the ambassador did not
fulfil his promises to him he knew what he should do, and Peter,
a servant of the said Burghes, told him a few days afterwards that
his master would soon be married and rich. He understood from
what (Burghes) said that he had for some time had the idea of
staying in England, and was moody and quarrelsome with all the
rest of the household. He swears to the truth of these things, and
as he cannot write places his mark hereto.—Signed by me, Marcos
de Ocoche, servant of the ambassador, in the presence of Luis de Paz
and Cristobal de Gamboa, date and place cited above. |
168. Bishop Quadra to the Duke of Alva.
I am greatly troubled about a disaster that has happened in my
house. It is a case of a servant of mine who has been bribed by
the Queen's ministers and has divulged a host of things prejudicial
to private persons and, even in public matters, has laid more on to
me than he could truthfully do. It has been impossible to prevent
this inconvenience, as the promises they have made him have been
so great and his wickedness so reckless that nothing would make
him turn back, and, as for punishing him by taking his life by
extraordinary means, apart from its being so foreign to my profession,
I thought it would probably give rise to greater scandal
and enable them to say more than they can say now. I could satisfy
the Queen about it if she would hear me, but, being a woman and
ill-informed by the leading men in her Council, she is so shocked
that I do not know to what lengths she will go. I am trying to
get her to expel this bad man from the country, as she ought to
do in fulfilment of the treaties, but she will not hear of it, which
distresses me more than anything else as it is against the honour and
dignity of his Majesty besides being an intolerable insult to me.
I send this courier to ask his Majesty for redress, and I beg your
Excellency, in view of what I write to the King, to consider whether
the case is one in which your Excellency can favour me. My private
honour being impugned as well as his Majesty's service I verily
hope that your Excellency will not leave me unprotected, and will
endeavour that this unavoidable accident shall not injure me in
what is of most importance, namely, his Majesty's gracious favour.
The affair has made so much noise and aroused suspicion in so
many breasts that it would not be surprising if the treason of this
man were to do more harm to the Queen than to me, for my
residence here is so distasteful to the heretics that they have done
nothing for the last year but try to get me out of the country, and
if his Majesty does not intend to assist in these affairs the best way
would be to satisfy them. I again beg of your Excellency not to
abandon me in this business, or to allow this great insult offered
to me by the Queen to go unredressed.—London, 6th June 1562. |
| 20 June. |
169. Bishop Quadra to the King.
Since writing to your Majesty on the 6th instant by Gamboa
the courier, I have spoken with the Queen, who tried to hide her
anger with me, but could not refrain from telling me that she was
going to complain to your Majesty of me for the bad offices I did in
always writing ill of her and her affairs. I told her that as she had
my servant in her house and he had revealed more than it was meet
for her to know, and as against all precedent she thought fit to
call me to account for my communications to your Majesty, I thought
it was time that I also should speak plainly and tell her that my
despatches to your Majesty, good or bad, had all been consequent
on her own proceedings, and I had treated her matters with your
Majesty in accordance therewith in all honesty and straightforwardness.
If this did not meet with her approval it was at all
events in accord with my duty to God and your Majesty and satisfactory
to my own conscience. She tried to convince me by
citing particular cases, and at last said I could not deny that
I had sent Dr. Turner to Flanders to try to get her turned off
the throne and substitute others (meaning Lady Margaret). I
told her I had sent the doctor to arrange my private affairs and
took the opportunity of his going (he being a person well informed
of events here) to tell him to give an account to the duchess of Parma
of the state of the French negotiations and designs in this country
which might be directed to securing the adherence of Lady Margaret
to their side by taking her son and marrying him in France, by which
means, even if the queen of Scotland, who was then in bad health,
were to die, they would still have some claim to a footing in this
country. These things were of such a character that I could not
avoid informing your Majesty of them and warning the Duchess,
seeing that war was being prepared between the king of France
and her (the Queen), he having again taken the title and arms of king
of England and publicly announced his intention to invade England,
as I was assured by the bishop of Valence and M. de Raudau when
they returned from Scotland. I said the fault of my not communicating
these things to her at the time was entirely her own as
she would never allow M. de Glajon or myself to have anything to
do with her affairs or exert your Majesty's interest in her favour
but actually told Glajon and me that your Majesty was her secret
enemy. As I saw, however, that she excluded me from her counsels,
and that the peace she had concluded with France was only a make
believe, and war with this country would lead to the breaking of the
peace elsewhere, I had only done my duty in obtaining all information
as to the pretensions and claims of the various possible heirs to the
crown and their respective characters, designs and connection to
enable your Majesty to adopt such steps as might be necessary. This
was during the life of King Francis when war was to he feared, but
since his death I had written about nothing but her marriage with Lord
Robert (which if it had not yet been effected was from no lack of
good offices on my part) and the question of the Nuncio and her taking
part in the Concilio, and she knew well that these two matters had
been dealt with in a sincere desire to serve her and also the way I
had been treated in return. She tried to find excuses for what I said,
but in vain, and at last I said that as I desired to satisfy and convince
her I should accept it as a favour if she would have me informed
of the things my servant had said to my detriment in order that
I might tell her frankly the truth, but that if she did not want
to be satisfied, it would suffice for me to give an account of my
actions to your Majesty, and as for the rest, she could do as she
thought fit. She answered that she would send someone who could
tell me, and subsequently the Lord Chamberlain and Dr. Watton
came to my house who told me verbally what is contained in the
statement I send herewith, and I answered to the effect of the copy
also enclosed, reserving to myself however the right of replying at
at length to the Queen when I should see her. I have thought well
to advise your Majesty in detail of all this in order that an
answer may be given to the Queen's ambassador when he speaks
on the subject. The most important part of the affair is the
information the servant has given them about Turner's report, which
remained in the possession of this man after Turner died in Brussels
at a lodging occupied by both of them. Although I got back
the original in the doctors own handwriting this man must have
kept a copy by means of which and a few drafts he has stolen from
time to time since he has been here he is now able to do all this
harm. The evil will greatly increase after the summer because just
now they are afraid of a rising and of the aid your Majesty might
extend to the Catholics and do not dare to arrest those whose names
are mentioned in the report. I am informed that the Councillors are
much annoyed that the Queen revealed to me the secret of this
report, as they think I may warn those whose names are mentioned
in it, and this is the reason that the Chamberlain and Wotton did
not mention it to me. This fellow has also greatly injured O'Neil
whom they ordered to be arrested as soon as they heard his statement
about him. With respect to expelling the servant from the country
they tell me the Queen will not fail to do what is right, so I have
thought well not refer to it again until I know your Majesty's wishes.
The Queen's action is overbearing and unprecedented in this case, and
I am told, moreover, that she had promised this bad man an income
of 400 ducats and a good marriage as the payment for his treason,
although she denies it.
It seems the queen of Scotland is very anxious to have a meeting
with this Queen, and has offered to come as far as Nottingham to
meet her, which is a hundred miles from here on the road to York.
Secretary Lethington is here trying to obtain this, but it does not
seem likely that he would stay so long here simply for this and
from other indications I cannot help suspecting that the coming
of the queen of Scotland so confidently and so far hither involves
some mystery. This Queen (Elizabeth) had made up her mind to go
some days since, and preparations were being made but she has since
cooled in the matter, and I know that Cecil is of opinion that the
interview should not take place and that the Queen should not leave
here this summer.
Two days since Plessy, a former groom of the chamber to king of
France, arrived here to see what is going on, as they have news
that war preparations are still being made here. The Catholics who
are in power there have not much confidence in the French ambassador
here and have sent this other man to obtain trustworthy information.
The fact is that the Queen can at any time have 16 well-armed ships
ready in eight days and 12 or 15 more in a month, but as I have
said before, if the prince of Condés affairs do not improve I do not
believe these people will start out on uncertain voyage, and especially
since my servant has told them of the large Catholic party there
is in the country, of which truly they are in great alarm. The earl
of Derby has sent to say that he has burnt the letter that was given
him in the name of your Majesty as, if it were false, which it certainly
was, he did not wish it to be a cause of complaint between the Queen
and me. He had witnesses that the letter contained nothing but
compliments, and says that he will serve your Majesty with greater
willingness than any other Prince in Christendom after his own
Queen.—London, June 1562. |
20 June.
Simancas,
B. M. MS.,
Add. 26,056a. |
170. Minute of the Conversation between the Ambassador and
the Lord Chamberlain and Dr. Wotton respecting
the charges made against the Ambassador.
1. That I had sent your Majesty the leaves of a book written by
the heretic Dr. Bale, (fn. 4) in which your Majesty and the Spanish nation
are spoken ill of, and that I had written to your Majesty that you
could judge by this the good will the Queen bore you.
Answer : It is true I sent these leaves as I was tired of
complaining to the Queen of the constant writing of books, farces
and songs prejudicial to other princes, and seeing that notwithstanding
her promises no attempt was made to put a stop to it.
|
2. That I had written that the Queen had given a church to the
Spanish heretics, and that they were greatly favoured both by her
and the Council.
Answer : I wrote that the Spanish heretics had been given a very
large house belonging to the bishop of London in which they might
preach thrice a week, which is true, as it also is that they are
favoured by the Queen. Casiodoro, who went to the conference of
Poissy received a considerable sum of money for his expenses on
the road. Throgmorton and the earl of Bedford have also given him
money here and his father and mother and all the rest of them here
are provided for.
|
3. That O'Neil had taken the Sacrament in my house.
Answer : This is not true, although my chaplain gave his chaplain
twelve consecrated wafers of the Holy Sacrament, for which he had
asked him. As regards the English who communicated in my house
I have told the Queen several times that I cannot be expected to
turn them out of the church.
I have denied about John O'Neil absolutely, and asserted that he
never communicated in my house in order not to injure him, but I
believe they have arrested him already, and that I shall not be able
to get him off as this traitor has told all he knows.
|
4. That I had written to his Majesty that the Queen was his
mortal enemy.
Answer : I do not recollect to have said these words of the Queen
herself, but of her and Cecil and the rest of the Council together, I
may have said it, and certainly with much truth, although I conscientiously
wish it were otherwise. In this I did what I consider
my duty to God and my master the King.
|
5. That I had written to his Majesty that the intention of the
Queen was to promote heresy in the Netherlands in order by this
means to deprive his Majesty of possession of the States and divide
them amongst many heretic rulers so that she might have the greater
influence over them, and that I had written to Cardinal de Granvelle
recommending him to keep an eye on the proceedings of Dr. Haddon
who had gone to Flanders with little or no real occasion.
Answer : The designs of the Queen in this respect have been
plainly shown by herself, and she used words at the time of the
departure of the Spanish troops from Flanders to Spain which bear
almost the same meaning as is here complained of. And certainly
the reception and treatment of the heretics here who take refuge
from the Netherlands (of whom there are more than 30,000 here
and at Sandwich, where another church has been given to them as
being a convenient place of passage for them) is such that nothing
else but what is taking place could be expected, and the evil will
grow daily in that country seeing the countenance shown to the
godless ones who come hither. When Dr. Haddon the Queen's
Master of Requests and one of the four Commissioners here against
the Catholics, went to Flanders, where he had no business to do other
than at Bruges, his business there being an insignificant one relating
to private merchants, I do not think I did wrong in advising the
Cardinal who he was and what he was going for, seeing that
Dr. Haddon was one of those who wrote two years ago to the
officers of the town of Furnes the insolent and scandalous letter
which the Duchess has seen in favour of certain Flemings who were
burnt there, and suspicion might well be entertained that a man
of his position should make such a voyage in the depth of
winter for a matter of so small importance, and particularly that
he should go all over the Netherlands in such weather for his
pastime alone. As they are in such constant state of suspicion
about me here that they are not ashamed to arrest visitors to my
house and cross-question them as to their business there, it is surely
not extraordinary that I should have suspected this man and advised
the Cardinal as I had so many reasons for doing so.
|
6. That I had written to his Majesty that the Queen had been
secretly married to Lord Robert at the earl of Pembroke's house.
Answer : What I wrote to his Majesty about this was the same
as I said to the Queen, which was that people were saying all over
the town that the wedding had taken place, which at the time
neither surprised nor annoyed her, and she said it was not only
people outside of the palace who had thought such a thing, as on her
return that afternoon from the Earl's house her own ladies in
waiting when she entered her chamber with Lord Robert asked
whether they were to kiss his hand as well as hers to which she had
told them no, and that they were not to believe what people said
In addition to this he (Robert) told me two or three days after that
the Queen had promised to marry him but not this year. She had
told me also with an oath that if she had to marry an Englishman it
should only be Robert. I had refrained from communicating these
details to his Majesty for the sake of decorum, and I do not think,
considering what others say of the Queen, that I should be doing her
any injury in writing to his Majesty that she was married, which
in fact I never have written, and I am sorry I cannot do so with
truth.—Enclosed in letter from Bishop Quadra to the King, 20th
June 1562. |
171. Bishop Quadra to Cardinal De Granvelle.
The Queen says she loves me as her life, and pretends to believe
me above all the world, but I know all about it. This traitor has
done me much harm by telling Robert things that have offended him
greatly. Your Eminence knows how much truth there was in them,
but they are trying to turn them to their own advantage. The
present plan is to stand by the Queen-Mother if the rebels in France
are beaten, and so avoid having anything to do with us. The
coming of the queen of Scots is a most important matter, and I am
much concerned at it.—London, 20th June 1562. |
27 June.
Simancas,
B. M. MS.,
Add. 26,056. |
172. The Same to the Same.
The journey of this Queen towards York to meet the Queen of
Scotland seems to be cooling, although both she and Robert are in
favour of it. The Council, however, oppose it strongly, not only
because of the money it will cost, which will not be less than
40,000l., but also because of the need for the Queen's presence in
London in these times with French affairs in their present condition.
Besides this they think it would be imprudent for the queen of
Scots to show herself in the northern provinces, which are strongly
catholic, as she might gain popularity there to the Queen's disadvantage.
It may be believed, therefore, that the project will be
dropped.—London, 27th June 1562. |