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1601, Oct. 7. |
Sir, Having now received at one instant divers
letters from you of the 13, 17 and 18 of September, they have
taken me out of that anxiety wherein your former letters left
me; at the writing whereof I saw you were in some hard terms,
whereof I now perceive there is some alteration to the better,
which I wish may not stay, till it come to the best that can be
desired by an honest servant and subject. For the devices
used to intimidate you, with the discovery of any letters of
yours to me, it shewed as well your confidence in me, as in your
own innocency to set at naught such fond inventions: for
although I should quickly have cut off the thread of your
correspondency whensoever I should have seen that you would
have made me an object of any unworthy practice, yet should
I never have made myself so base as to have betrayed my
friend, where my allegiance had not been in balance. So as if
you be of that composition which I am, I would suffer them to
dwell in their own schism. For Mowbray at a word, I never
gave him but one £100, wherein he objected to me some breach
of promise in my father and Mr. Walsingham: neither did I
ever promise him other recompence than an annual pension,
as long as he would live in Spain. And for the Irish matter,
it is true that he brought his cousin Philip to offer the attempt
upon Tyrone, which I refused not, he being already proscribed
by the Queen's own proclamation. I hear that they have
booted him and vexed him, and I think the man hath moved
suspicion by his own ventosity. But of the letter which Locke
should shew him (although I use Locke but in particular trusts,
of which I make to divers men particular distribution, as I find
each person proper and capable) I dare assume no letter that
ever came to him would ever serve for his condemnation; so
as I leave him to be tried as they shall please. Only I am sorry
that there should be a conceit that any man should perish by
addressing himself to me, whereby others may impute that
to my weakness which merely proceedeth from their own
original sin. As for the Duke of Leneux, my satisfaction hath
no other dependency but upon yours, and therefore in that
point you may assure yourself he shall (out of that reputation
which their state affordeth all strangers, especially being persons
of so eminent quality) find no cause of mislike, and shall understand that you have made him more acceptable (by your
commendations) of his good disposition to this State. And so
much for answer to your letter of the 13. For the contents of
the 17, first I am glad to find that those two persons, especially
one of them Sir George Hume, of whose credit with the King
I hear so much, is not only your friend but a well wisher to
this estate, for thereby the obligation which you shall give them
for their help in your introduction shall no way hinder the
constant devotion you profess to her Majesty's service. For the
news which were sent of the Duke of Leneux out of France,
especially that wherein there was a conceit that in the Duke's
negotiation the Queen had interposed herself to hinder either
the reputation or effect of the same, I pray you take this from
me upon the conscience of truth, that she nor any minister of
hers had so much as a thought to meddle in it, or to hinder it.
No Sir, it is but the poorness of those mendicant intelligences,
which would still give themselves credit by vain untruths, much
like to the supposition which was bruited that the Marshal
Byron was employed hither to negotiate about succession.
Where first (God of heaven doth know) the Queen will as soon
give ear to her mortuary as ever to admit any such negotiation,
either to set up or pull down any title or competition. And
next (I speak it to you freely) this Marshal had only matter of
compliment, the King being at Calais, and some accidental
discourse to deliver why the King did no more to relieve the
siege of Ostend than he did. I was very sorry that the King
was so distracted by the trash which proceeded from pedants
and that old doting bishop, as to put off the access of so good a
servant as I think you would be to him. You must bear with
me that have retarded some few days from giving you answer,
for the landing of the Spaniards in Ireland hath given me some
cause of interruption from all private, seeing the public was in
question. Their army is 4,000. They landed in Munster in
a good haven, but near a paltry town called Kinsale, within
there were not above 60 men. They summoned it for the King
of Spain, whereupon they yielded. The President Sir George
Carew was at Kilkenny with the deputy some 40 miles off at
the Earl of Ormond's house, but immediately upon the arrival
of them he posted to Cork, which is some ten miles off from their
descent, where he drew to head some 3 or 4,000 men; the Deputy
following after with all speed with more forces. To conclude,
I think the Queen's army that may be drawn together in that
province from the other parts of the kingdom (which are apt
to revolt and may not be abandoned) may amount to 1,000
heads, which her Majesty reinforceth from hence with 1,000
more, which being arrived I make account (the Northern rebels
being kept from joining) that those Spanish conquerors will
come out like "Baylives errant," with white sticks in their
hands. In the meantime you see we are not asleep, nor all
the conditions agreed on for the peace, between the King of
Spain and the Queen, nor we that are pensioners to the Infanta
(according to the excellent Scottish intelligence) so faithful
to him yet, but that we keep him from Ostend and mean to
pull him by the ears out of Ireland. The Archduke lieth still
before Ostend, watching for opportunities either by some
corruption to win the town, or to serve himself of some advantage
if the sea should break in, or rather is loth to quit the siege
for loss of his reputation, but make still a show to block it up
and so contain the Spaniolized Provinces from mutiny against
his ill success and the burden of their own expenses. In the
town Sir Francis Vere commands with 8,000 soldiers, all
necessaries being royally put into the place. So as when I
consider who is there with such a garrison, and how gallant a
Deputy and a President we have in Munster, with a good army,
I hope this year will not prove his jubilee, if it prosper no better
than it beginneth; for he hath lost Berke, he hath failed of
Ostend, his army failed before Algier, and I hope the like shall
follow in sequence in Ireland. And thus having now wearied
you with a long letter, I commit you to God.—From the Court
at Richmond this 7th of October, 1601. Your very loving friend
Ro. Cecyll.
In hand of Cecil's secretary Levinus Munck.
Signed, with a few corrections by Cecil.
2½ pp. (213. 116.) |
