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1593.
18 March.
B.M.
Landsdowne, 76. |
611. Don Pedro De Valdes to Lord Burghley.
I am so grateful to her Majesty for the gracious favours she
extended to me before my departure, and to her household and
nobility, especially your Lordship, for kindly giving me permission
to salute you whenever occasion offered, that for the rest of my life
it shall be ever present to me. To the full extent of my power ;
will serve you in all things ; and if my deeds are insufficient to
prove my gratitude to you, I will daily remember you in my
poor prayers.
When I was in prison I tried several times to write to your
Lordship, to give you an account of the cruelty and harshness with
which I was treated in consequence of my refusal to consent to the
excessive and unreasonable things demanded of me by Richard
Drake, moved by his greed and ambition. But he always prevented
me from writing, saying that he had express orders not to allow me
to do so in any form whatever. Now, however, that your Lordship
has given me permission to write to you, I do so, in order to acquaint
you with the grievance and injury that Richard Drake does me
against all justice and reason, in demanding so large a sum of money
from me, in violation of the orders given by the Lords of the Council.
Your Lordship will learn what this sum is by the letter for her
Majesty which accompanies the present, which letter I beg your
Lordship will submit to the Queen, in order that she may learn the
injustice that is being done to me. I am confident that her own
magnanimity, and the advice of one of the greatest ministers that
over served a monarch, who has with so much justice and rectitude
relieved those who have appealed to his favour, will lead her to
prevent and redress the offences that are being committed against
me. As I understand that the letter I write to her Majesty will
have to be considered in the Council, I also write to the Lord
Admiral and the Lord Chamberlain to the same effect. I beg your
Lordship kindly to send me advice of her Majesty's decision by the
person who hands this letter to you. I shall be content with her
decision, whatever it may be, as I am quite certain that she will not
allow an injustice to be done to me.—Brussels, 13th March 1593-4.
Don Pedro De Valdes.
Note.—Attached to the above letter is an English translation of
Don Pedro's letter to the Queen, in which he complains of Richard
Drake's demands on account of maintenance charges. The ransom
itself was 3,550l., of which bonds for 2,500l. had been given by an
English banker, and 1,050l. by Valdes. The maintenance was fixed
at 23 ducats a week for each of the four principal prisoners, or 400l.
a year in all. Drake, however, on various pretexts, was demanding
a larger sum under this head.
There is also attached the English translation of a confirmatory
letter sent by Don Pedro de Valdes to Burleigh a few days afterwards,
by which it appears that the original letters were transmitted
through Alderman Ratcliff, who was negotiating for the release of his
son, a prisoner in Spain. |
19 Mar.
B.M.
Add. MSS.,
28,420. |
612. Don Pedro De Valdes to the King.
On the 9th instant I briefly gave your Majesty news of my arrival
in this place. I have now to add that eight days before my departure
from England I was taken to Court by orders of the Queen, where I
was treated very handsomely, and was visited by the councillors,
nobles, and naval officers there. They unanimously requested that
when I arrived at your Majesty's Court I would use my best offices
in favour of peace, and a return to the old amity between the two
countries ; and they seemed to desire this more than ever. I was
then taken to London, where I was entertained at a banquet by the
Lord Mayor and aldermen. The next day I went to visit the Lord
Treasurer, who also pressed me to use my influence in favour of
peace. I found him very ill, and yesterday I received news that
the doctors had abandoned the hope of saving him. He will be the
greatest loss the English could suffer, as he is the most important
man in the country.
On the 1st instant Parliament met the principal objects being
two. The first is to raise supplies for the fleet of which I have
spoken. This fleet is being equipped with various objects, a part
being sent to the West Indies, it is said for the purpose of seizing
and fortifying Porto Rico, and making it their sallying point. They
have also fixed their eyes on Havana and St. Juan de Ulloa ; but I
believe they now despair of being able to take any of those ports, in
consequence of the news they have received, to the effect that they
are now very well defended. I also learnt before I left that they
would attempt to occupy the island of Curaçao, which lies between
Nombre de Dios and Cartagena, as there is on it much flesh (mucha
carne) ; and they expect to be able to assail from it the ships which
pass on their voyage to and from Nombre de Dios. My fear,
however, is that their intention may be to meet the flotillas bound
to New Spain and Tierra Firme ; as they are deeply ladened and
unhandy, besides being less armed for defence than ships of war.
In either case I pray your Majesty to adopt such timely measures as
may be considered necessary. It is said that another squadron is to
go to the coast of Brittany, with the intention of attacking Bordeaux
and St. Malo, and obstructing such ships of the fleet as may be there
and preventing succour being sent from Spain. They are also
threatening Dunkirk, which they will try to capture with another
squadron of ships. I am informed that the (English) fleet is being
equipped very actively, and will shortly put to sea. Our enemies
fear that if the port of Brest is faithful to your Majesty it will injure
them greatly, as the port is capacious and well situated, and doubtless
your Majesty will endeavour to obtain possession of it.
Two sugar ships which have been captured in Brazil have recently
been taken into Plymouth as prizes, and the Indian ship they have
taken is at Dartmouth, where they are trying to sell her. If your
Majesty wishes to buy her, seeing the lack of ships there must be in
Spain, it can be managed through merchants, without its being
known, and I beg in such case that your Majesty will order
instructions to be sent hither to this effect. There is a Genoese
named Aliano Calvo there (in England), of whom your Majesty has
been informed, who will faithfully serve your Majesty in all things.
The two quicksilver ships are also there with the papal bulls that
were being sent to Peru. If they be not soon ransomed everything
will be lost. As nothing has yet been discharged from the ships, I
think a favourable arrangement could be made, if your Majesty will
send orders on the matter to this Italian. The bargain can be settled
by him on better terms than by anyone else, and with greater
secrecy and safety. If your Majesty decides to do anything in this
matter, I pray that I may be informed thereof without delay. I
again beg your Majesty humbly to grant me the prisoner I have
requested, as it is of the highest importance to me for my own
release, (fn. 1) and I am under great obligations to his father for his good
offices to me, and to many other Spanish prisoners there. It is also
very necessary that he should be conciliated in view of future events,
and I hope by his aid to receive full reports of what happens there.
—Brussels, 19th March 1593. |
29 March.
B.M.
Add. MSS.
28,420. |
613. Don Pedro De Valdes to the King.
By my last letter of 19th ultimo I gave your Majesty an account
of the state in which the bulls, missals, and breviaries from the quicksilver
ships bound to the Indies remained in England. I learned
yesterday, by advices from there, dated 13th instant, that Francisco
Spinola, the Genoese, a prisoner in London, who was captured on his
way from New Spain, had obtained his liberation and had purchased
the missals, etc. He had also bought a vessel, with the intention of
again shipping them for New Spain, under a passport granted to
him by the Queen. This was being done with so much diligence
that it was expected that the ship would be equipped and ready for
sea within 12 or 15 days. It appears to me that if Spinola is doing
this without your Majesty's permission, he is doing a very daring
thing. I shall learn particulars by next advices, and will duly
inform your Majesty.
I am also advised that, whilst Drake was fitting out the fleet for
sea with great activity, news came from Spain that the treasure
ship from the Indies were hourly expected there, and that ships of
war had put to sea to escort the flotillas. On the reception of this
intelligence all preparations on the fleet were at once suspended, and
it was said that the earl of Cumberland only would shortly sail
with eight ships well equipped, whilst from various ports private
ships, to the total number of about twenty-four, were about to sail ;
the object being to cruise off the Azores in the hope of something
turning up. My reports also say that when Parliament had opened
the Queen went to London, where the Chancellor made a great
speech to the members in her presence. He set forth the great
strength of your Majesty in all parts, and pointed out that now you
were beginning to gather forces in Scotland. To resist them, he
said, it would be necessary to grant the Queen a large sum of
money, and it is understood that this was voted. They had also
discussed the further oppression of the Catholics. It is said that
those (i.e., the Catholics) who had rebelled against the king of
Scotland had become more powerful, and the Queen was sending
him (i.e., the king of Scotland) great re-inforcements against them,
with the aid of which it was expected that they would be overcome
and punished. I am endeavouring to establish means of communication
with England, so that regular and trustworthy reports
of all that happens there may be sent ; and I trust in God that
before I leave here I shall be able to arrange for the count de
Fuentes to receive such reports as may be necessary.
In a few days I go to Antwerp and thence to Dunkirk. I hope
also to see Nieuport, the entrance to Ghent, and the Sluys, if the
risk is not too great. I will do my best to learn the condition of
those fortresses, and also that of the coast defences, ships, etc. ;
of all of which I will inform the count de Fuentes. — Brussels,
29th March 1593. |