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Aug. 2.
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70. OCHOA DE LARRINAGA to ANTONIO GUARAS.
Thanks for yours of June 20. I shall always be at your service
when you want anything of me.
The 8 bronze pieces shipped at Plemua [Plymouth] by John
Ylcom in Pedro Simon's vessel, and consigned to Señor Juan
Martinez de Recalde, in his absence I had them put in his house ;
and a few days ago he came there, and learning what had happened
he wrote to Madrid, and I hear they have ordered them to be sent to
Pamplona ; as you will see from a letter inclosed.—Bilbao, 2 Aug.
1577.
Add. Endd. : Received 8 Oct. Sp. ½ p. [Spain I. 4.]
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Aug. 2.
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71. WALSINGHAM TO MONSIEUR D'OST.
Her Majesty bids me thank you very cordially for your offer of
your own services, as well as those of that highly experienced
captain Colonel John Brant, Lord of Oude and Rembach, who is
ready on all occasions to furnish her with 2,000 reiters and a regiment
of foot, subject to such pension as she shall deem reasonable.
Her Majesty fully intends to show that she is not ungrateful for
these kind offers, but seeing how little occasion she has at present for
employing men of war, God having granted her to enjoy peace and
repose, and having pensioners enough to furnish her with such succours
as she may require, she cannot make up her mind to adding
more thereto. Nevertheless if the occasion should arise, she will
not refuse the services which M. de Brant has been good enough to
offer.—Richmond, 2 Aug. 1577.
Add. Endd. in [?] Davison's hand : 2 Augusti 1577 from
Sr. [sic] Fr. Wals. Fr. 1 p. [Holl. and Fland. II. 1.]
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Aug. 2.
K. d. L. ix.
444.
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72. MR. DAVISON'S INSTURCTIONS on being sent to reside as HER
MAJESTY'S Agent in the Low COUNTRIES.
Understanding that the troubles in the Low Countries are newly
broken out again, and that Don John has seized Namur, we think it
meet that you repair thither with all speed, that we may be advertised
how things pass there. You shall not be unknown to the
States, to whom we mean that you shall address yourself in the
absence of Don John ; but you had your dispatch before the notice
of this trouble came to our ears, and the principal cause of our sending
you was to supply the place of our agent thither, as others have
heretofore done.
Though we doubt whether you will have access to Don John, we
think it meet that you should seek to send him our letters directed
to him, and to advertise him of the cause of our sending you, lest he
enter into some conceit that our purpose is other than it is.
You shall let the States understand that besides the ordinary
charge we have committed to you, you are specially to recommend
to Don John the observance of the last treaty of Ghent, and do
everything that may continue his disposition to maintain the
country in peace and quietness. And although this especial charge
is now like to be frustrate, let him understand the great care we
have of them, and how ready we are to do anything that might turn
to their benefit, that thereby they might be provoked to show themselves
more thankful than they have hitherto given us cause to
esteem them. For when we consider how they have broken their
day with us in the repayment of the money we lent them, as also
exacting upon our subjects that traffic in that country new impositions
contrary to the old intercourse between the countries (especially
for that when charged therewith they alleged that they
dealt no otherwise with our subjects than with those of other princes,
as though they received not at our hands more favour than at all
other princes' hands), we cannot but find ourselves aggrieved.
And as they will wish to know upon this new outbreak how we
will deal with them, you may let them know (as of yourself) that we
will be glad to appease their troubles, and that you are persuaded
that in case it shall appear that Don John has sought to entrap them
and reduce them to servitude, we will not abandon them. This you
may deliver generally. To others that are discreet and good
patriots you may privately let them understand that we ourselves are
persuaded that he hath no other meaning, and that it behoveth them
to look to themselves ; and we will not fail to assist them so far as
may stand with our honour.
You shall also, as of yourself, advise them, in case they cannot
agree, to send for the Prince of Orange, and commit their doing to
his good direction ; letting them understand that all who oppose
him (though they may pretend religion), are to be held suspected
persons.
You shall seek to inform yourself what forts and towns Don John
has, what are his and the States' forces, what noblemen join him
and them, and who are neutral. 1½ pp. [Holl. and Fland. II. 3.]
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Aug. 2.
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73.Draft of the above with corrections by Walsingham. Endd.
4¼ pp. [Ibid. II. 4.]
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Aug. 2.
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74. LETTER of the PRINCE OF ORANGE to the ESTATES since the
last Troubles of the Year 1577.
Having heard that upon the advertisements which I sent you
lately by M. de Sainte-Aldegonde, Don John had accused me to you
of divers infractions of the peace, even as though upon my advice
his life had been attempted, covering under this protest his seizure
of the Castle of Namur, and seeking to persuade you that you ought
to make common cause with him and declare war upon me and
those of Holland and Zealand, I have thought good to send to you
M. Jacques Taffin, formerly Receiver-general of Cassel, that, in
conjunction with the said M. de Sainte-Aldegonde, he may on my behalf
pray you to be mindful of the strict and solemn obligation by
which we are respectively bound to maintain in all its points the
pacification made at Ghent ; and not to allow yourselves to be carried
away by feigned protests by which they seek to lead you astray
from the sole means of restoring our country to its ancient repose
and true prosperity. For I think there is none of you, who, if he
will truly balance all my actions, and consider on what foot I have
always walked, and confront it with the behaviour of Don John, may
not easily perceive that all my happiness, both as regards myself
and my country, lies in a peaceable enjoyment of union, repose, and
tranquillity, with that lawful restoration of our rights and liberties
to which all good patriots aspire. Similarly all my thoughts and
labours aim only at this, as may be seen in all I say or do. On the
other hand, the whole greatness of his Highness lies in waging war
and in gaining credit by arms, as he has himself always avowed,
abhorring nothing so much as the idleness and repose of this government.
Thus all his proceedings both before and since the pacification
of Marche-en-Famine, within the country, as towards other
princes and peoples of Christendom, testify clearly that he has never
aimed at anything save to entangle us and our neighbours of England
and Scotland in new storms of civil war, as may be seen from
his letters, his threats, and all his actions. Thus it ought to be
clear to each of you that the accusations brought by him against
me are only colours borrowed to hide his desire of war, and gradually
to rekindle the appetite of vengeance which he has conceived not
only against me and those of this country, but especially against you,
Sirs, by whom he thinks he has been even more unworthily treated
than by me, in order to ruin us all together, and, as Escovedo says,
to get the better of all by chastising one through the means of the
other. To this effect he has, as those same letters of Escovedo show,
since his arrival tried in every way to hatch the fire of individua
pretensions by artificially stimulated jealousies, as in regard to the
change of Governments in Artois, Tournay, the Castle of Antwerp,
and elsewhere, as well as in Holland and Zealand. And now, pouring
upon me the rest of his anger, under the cloak of the Catholic
religion and the obedience due to the King, he hopes to separate you
from us, and procure your and our general ruin.
For this reason, Sirs, I pray and exhort you most seriously to take
heed to yourselves, and form a settled judgement on matters of such
importance ; so that when you have examined all closely, and understood
in what fashion I have always comported myself on the matters
whereof I am accused,—as MM. Tattin and Sainte-Aldegonde
will set forth to you,—and have compared them with the behaviour
of his Highness, and seen the truth, you may finally take a firm and
virtuous resolution, suitable to the rank which you hold and to your
obligation towards the whole body of the people, of whom you have
been chosen by God and man to be the chiefs and protectors ; to
wit, to lay aside all that may dazzle your eyes or hinder a right
judgement, and manfully to maintain by all means the safety of yourselves,
your wives, children, goods, liberties, and rights, taking heed
that this poor people that looks to you do not perish nor fall a prey
to those who would make themselves great at your cost, under a yoke
of miserable servitude. Let not our posterity lament that by our
cowardice it has lost the rights which our ancestors so well acquired
and bequeathed, and has been brought under the tyranny of
strangers.
Copy. Fr. 4 pp. [Holl. and Fland. II. 5.]
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Aug. 2.
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75. Another copy of the same.
Fr. 3½ pp. Endd. as at the head of the last. [Ibid. II. 6.]
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Aug. 3.
K. d. L. ix.
446.
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76. THE VISCOUNT OF GHENT to the QUEEN.
I have not been able to communicate with your Majesty on the
matter you wrote of, owing to the sudden change which soon after
my return I found here, Don John with certain lords and gentlemen
having separated from the Estates. He has set secret intelligences
in several places in Brabant, under the false plea of his personal
safety, among others in the citadel of Antwerp, where M. de
Treslong has gone so far as to corrupt the Duke of Aerschot's company,
thinking to admit the Germans, and thus get the command of
the two other companies, belonging to my regiment, which were in
the place. They were however virtuous enough to make themselves
masters of the place yesterday, taking Treslong prisoner, and cutting
the rest to pieces. The Germans have left the town. Your
Majesty may imagine how much these tidings have rejoiced the poor
people, and especially the merchants. We do not know what Don
John will think of it. However, there is quite enough to water his
wine for him, and check his designs. The Estates have sent to ask
if he will join them again. If he does not, I see, to my great regret,
that things are ready for a cruel war, from which may God preserve
us.—Brussels, 3 Aug. 1577.
Copy. Endd. Fr. 1 p. [Ibid. II. 7.]
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Aug. 3.
K. d. L. ix.
448.
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77. EDWARD HORSEY to the VISCOUNT OF GHENT.
I have stayed longer at the Court than I meant, having much to
do in my Government ; but I think that affairs on your side are so
uncertain that you have put off writing to me as you promised, till
there was an opportunity of sending intelligence worth communicating
to the party you lost of. The gentleman who bears this
is sent to your country in the place of Dr. Wilson. He is much
esteemed by the Queen, and if you have any matter of importance to
send in your letters you may trust in him as in myself ; and on that
I would stake my honour.—From the Court [at Richmond], 3 Aug.
1577.
Add. Fr. 1 p. Encl. in the next. [Ibid. II. 8.]
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Aug. 4.
K. d. L. ix.
450.
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78. EDWARD HORSEY to DAVISON.
After your departure her Majesty commanded me to write to the
Viscount of Ghent by you, which I have done and sent the letter by
this bearer. I pray you to see his letters conveyed safely to me,
and to direct them to her Secretary, who will see them sent on
though I be at the Isle of Wight.
Commend to MM. Theron and Fremyn.—from the Court [at
Richmond], 4 Aug. 1577.
Add. Endd. 1 p. [Holl. and Fland. II. 9.]
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Aug. 4.
K. d. L. ix.
449.
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79. M. DE HEZE to the QUEEN.
Those who are hostile to the repose of this country having finally
declared their sinister designs by the surprise of Namur, and the
great preparations for war that they are secretly making, quite
contrary to the pacification, as the Estates have clearly understood
both from intercepted letters and from the retreat of the Duke of
Aerschot and his brother the Marquis of Havrech, who had escaped
to that town, I deem it right to seek assistance suitable to the
present necessity. Having experienced your Majesty's kindness I
am confident that you will not reject my prayer, and will take our
poor country under your protection, and not listen to the calumnies
of our enemies, who try only to put a sinister interpretation upon
the fidelity and obedience which we have always borne to the true
service of our King.—Brussels, 4 Aug. 1577.
Copy. Fr. 1 p. Endd. : Copy of the Count of Horn's letter
to her Majesty. [Ibid. II. 10.]
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