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Aug. 6.
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287. WALSINGHAM to BURGHLEY.
From la-Fère-en-Tardenois, 6 Aug. 1581.
See 'Compleat Ambassador,' pp. 363-371. Add. Endd. : ('Recepta
by Burnham at Greenwich') and marginal headings added by
Burghley, who also notes : There were with Monsieur at the
ambassador's coming, Laval, Viscount Turenne, M. Rochepot, M.
Saint-Luc, Count Montgomery ; M. d'Elbeuf arrived about Monday.
13 pp. [France VI. 1.]
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Aug. 6.
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288. WALSINGHAM to BURGHLEY.
At the making of this dispatch I was so sore troubled with the
headache and the migraine that I could not myself set pen to paper,
scarce to sign the dispatch ; which caused me to use the hand of
another for the letter I write to her Majesty, wherewith if she
conceive dislike, I pray you to make my excuse ; for I must have
so done, or made some longer stay of advertising 'over,' which
would not, I am persuaded, have been taken in good part. For
the same cause, please also have me excused in your own behalf,
I was desirous to use my own hand in writing to you rather than
another's.
And as her Majesty dislikes long letters, I beseech you in this
behalf also to make my excuses, with this 'ground of my meaning,'
which was because the matter was of moment, and the speeches
that passed consisted of many parts and circumstances, it seemed
most pertinent to set it down, though not so largely as I might,
yet not oversparingly ; notwithstanding that to my own liking and for
the place I am now in, shortness would like me better than prolixity.
I am now, with all the expedition I can, to make my repair to
Paris, where I mean to be with so good speed that on Wednesday I
will demand audience of the king. What matter shall fall out,
you shall be speedily advertised.—La Fère, 6 August 1581.
P.S. (autograph).—Queen Mother's repair hither has bred strange
jealousies in this Court, or rather in this camp.
I could not send you a copy of her Majesty's letter, through the
expedition I used in sending away this bearer.
Add. Endd. by Burghley : Mr Sec. Walsingham to the L.
Burghley by Burnham. Rec. Marc. 9 Aug. 1 p. [France VI. 2.]
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Aug. 10.
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289. WALSINGHAM to BURGHLEY.
I arrived last night in this town, where I hoped today to have
had audience, but by reason of the absence of the Queen Mother, as
I suppose, it is deferred. The lodging appointed me is richly furnished,
and the 'diet' both honourable and large. La Mothe is
appointed to entertain me, who professes to be very thankful for the
honour and liberality he received at her Majesty's hands. I have
prayed him, as one that has 'made show to affect the amity of
England,' that he would help to remove the difficulty that impeaches
the proceeding in the league. He uses the same language that
Queen Mother and the Duke have done ; saying that the king will
hardly be induced to yield to a league without marriage.
After the king has given me audience, I shall be able to guess
what success my legation will have. You will hear from my lord
ambassador what speeches are given out here touching Queen
Mother's dealings at la Fère. The gentleman is very careful in the
service, and so governs himself that I assure you he is very well
respected by the best sort. I would to God it would please her
Majesty to have some gracious consideration of his suit, which has
long depended.—Paris, 10 August 1581.
Add. Endd. by Burghley : Sir Franc. Walsingham by a common
post. 1¼ pp. [France VI. 3.]
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Aug. 10.
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290. WALSINGHAM to the QUEEN.
See 'Compleat Ambassador,' pp. 387-8 (where it is given as of
Aug. 13). Draft in hand of L. Tomson and endd. by him : Copy of
my letter to her Majesty. Also by Burghley with date 'x Aug. 1581,'
and in a later hand, 'Cobham.' 2 pp. [Ibid. VI. 4.]
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Aug. 10.
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291. WALSINGHAM, COBHAM, and SOMERS to BURGHLEY.
— Paris, 10 August in the night, 1581.
See 'Compleat Ambassador,' pp. 376-377. Add. Endd. by
Burghley. 2¼ pp. [France VI. 5.]
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Aug. 10.
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292. Rough draft of the above, with corrections in Walsingham's
hand, and several variants, mostly cancelled. "Tuesday
evening, I, Sir Francis Walsingham, came to this town, and on
Wednesday morning I sent for audience of the king. But partly
for that the Queen Mother was not then returned to the Court, as
I take it, but specially by reason of the king's removing hither that
day from Saint-Maur, our audience was deferred till Thursday.
Then in the afternoon we had access to the king in a house of the
Queen Mother's in the town, where he had dined, in the end of a
long gallery, a good way from any company ; where after I had
rehearsed to him that upon occasion of a dispatch sent lately to her
Majesty from me her ambassador resident and Somers, containing
his desire to have speedy answer to three points then propounded
by him, she had sent me, Sir F. Walsingham, now to him with the
answer, and for my credit I delivered him her letter. When he had
read it, and I had also delivered him her private letter, I told him
I had been with his brother by the way, as his ambassador had
written to him her pleasure was I should do, which also I understood
by letters of M. Pinart to me, Sir H. Cobham, his Majesty found
good, I declared unto him her answer," etc. The rest nearly as in
fair copy.
3 pp. [Ibid. VI. 5 a.]
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Aug. 10.
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293. "The names of such noblemen and gentlemen as
accompany Monsieur."
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M. le Prince Dauphin
M. le Marquis d'Elbeuf
M. de Laval
M. le Vicomte de Turayne
M. de Saint-Luc
M. de Fervaques
M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan
M. de la Chastre
M. le Vicomte de la Guerche
M. de la Ferté-Imbault
M. de Drou
M. de Bellegarde
M. de la Roche-du-Mayne
M. de Marmault
M. de Chanvallon
M. de Rochepot
M. de Recan
M. de Renty
M. de la Coste-Mézières
M. de Bruines
M. de Beaupré
M. de Rasillières
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M. le Comte de Montgomery
M. de la Beausse
M. de Beaufrémont
M. d'Arges
M. de Coursanne
M. de la Roche-Breton
M. d'Allot de Mortmorency
M. de Buy
M. de Buas
M. le Vidame de Meaux
M. de Rocquetaillade
M. le Comte de la Suze, le jeune
M. de Lorges
M. de la Rocheguyon
M. de Colombières
M. Pampador
M. de Saint-Légier
M. de la Guiche
M. de la Vergne
M. le Chevalier Breton
M. des Pinneaux
M. de Suresne
M. de la Trappe
M. de Bellefontaine
M. de Beauregard
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In hand of L. Tomson, and endd. by him ; also with date by
Burghley. 12/3 pp. [France VI. 6.]
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Aug. 11.
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294. WALSINGHAM to BURGHLEY.
Seeing the king has assented to the league, I beseech you to
procure her Majesty's speedy resolution to the Viscount of Turenne's
proposition for the 100,000 crowns, without which I fear we shall
find some stay in the treaty. I should be very sorry that so small
a sum employed to so good purpose should be stuck at ; therefore
I hope her Majesty will have that consideration in his behalf that
appertains both to her safety and honour. It will stand the duke
in so great stead that he will think himself greatly bound to her,
if she is pleased to offer it unrequired. Besides I know it will
greatly advance the treaty, and remove divers impediments that
may hinder its course and good success. The hope I have put (sic)
some of our friends here of this support has made them deal the
more effectually in disposing the king's and Queen Mother's minds
to the league. If therefore it fall out otherwise, I shall greatly
doubt, or rather be afraid, that I shall not have any credit to do
her Majesty service. Such as are enemies to the amity give out
hard speeches touching her nearness and lack of performance of
that which is promised ; alleging the revocation of the credit given
to the States for the £100,000.
For my own part, though my state be very poor, and my debts
great, yet rather than the 'yielding of the support' should not
take place, I would be content to sell anything I have to contribute
£1,000 to it, so greatly do I see it imports her Majesty's service or
rather safety.
The usage of the Spanish ambassador, of which you advertised
me, served to very good purpose to remove the conceit they have of
her Majesty's inclination to Spain. I pray she may take profit of
Campion's discovery by severely punishing the offenders ; for
nothing has done more harm than the overmuch lenity that has
been used in that behalf.
The haste I have in dispatching this messenger makes me the
shorter at present.—Paris, 11 August.
Holograph. Add. Endd. by Burghley. 2 pp. [France VI. 7.]
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Aug. 13.
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295. MAUVISSIÈRE to WALSINGHAM.
I had not leisure yesterday to write to you by your servant, Mr
Burnham, who left Greenwich in great haste with M. Marchaumont's
secretary. I have today received the letter which you
wrote me from la Fère on the 6th inst. and I see from it that his
Highness and the gentlemen with him have looked upon you with
favourable eyes as they would upon all her Majesty's servants,
among whom you have no small means of doing good offices for his
Highness. I understand that you have made a good beginning
pursuant to your commission, and that you have recognised and
admitted him to be a very constant lover, for which he truly
deserves recompense and you can aid him much in obtaining it
from the Queen, his mistress and yours.
I have already written to you the very honourable terms in which
her Majesty spoke to me of you in your absence, and her confidence
in your long fidelity and experience. But in love affairs one must
always take a little licence, and aid the lovers as much as one can ;
and to tell you in one word what we think, M. de Marchaumont and
I, all is not going well when things are cold in affairs of love
or friendship. It is now that we see more ardour and good will, in
such wise that after despair hope is again springing up from some
new source, which encourages us to hope for the marriage. I for
my part have long left it in the hands of God to order as He
pleases.
Further I may say that you know your mistress better than I.
If she finds any one who speaks coldly of the marriage, she does not
hold him among her friends or servants. I see her, as it seems to
me, more and more redoubling her affection towards his Highness,
which is something divine, and which mundus cognoscere non potest.
And I will even tell you more : her Majesty has sworn to me that
she would rather die and do whatever would please him than discontent
him in anything. She has, as she tells me, been thinking
in these days of various means of getting him into this realm, to
render him content, and that he should put his army in charge of a
lieutenant, since she does not wish him to go in person to the
relief of Cambray. I see several noblemen and gentlemen here very
desirous to go and serve him ; some of the greatest, if they can get
permission. But I think that the first who crosses the sea will be
Lord Howard.
As for any good offices which my elder brother in his Highness's
household may have offered you, he owes you that for the innumerable
occasions and the particular courtesies which you have used
towards us here. If you have anything you want done (avez affaire
de quelquechose) in France, and make use of any other than my
wife, I shall be offended (je m'en prendrois). You have done her
too much honour, here. All your friends are well, and wherever I
am, you will find me at your service.—Greenwich, 13 Aug. 1581.
Add. Endd. Fr. 2½ pp. [France VI. 8.]
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Aug. 13.
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296. WALSINGHAM, COBHAM, and SOMERS to BURGHLEY.
— Paris, 13 Aug. 1581.
See 'Compleat Ambassador,' p. 380. Add. Endd. by Burghley.
5 pp. [Ibid. VI. 9.]
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Aug. 13?
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297. WALSINGHAM to the DUKE OF ANJOU and to ?
(1.) Since I left your Highness, having had audience of their
Majesties, I found their will conformable to what you told me of
their disposition and yours. But since then, seeing that there has
been no proceeding to the preliminaries, and that reports are being
spread very contrary to this dealing, and as detrimental to your
affairs as they are prejudicial to the Queen my mistress, I have
thought it my duty, for the sincere regard I have for your service
and reputation, to advertise you thereof by this gentleman, to whom
please to give credit on my behalf, and believe that after the Queen
there is no power whose greatness I more desire than yours.
And I pray God, since He has touched your generous soul with
compassion for the miseries of this unhappy age, that He will give
you grace happily to achieve what you have begun with the good
wishes of the best part of Christendom.
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(2.) Having thought good to send this gentleman to advertise
his Highness of my dealing with their Majesties, I have charged
him to salute you from me, and to thank you for your prompt good
will toward me and my negotiations affecting the service of his
Highness. Kindly assure him from me of my sincere desire for his
greatness ; and believe that my will never will be wanting to show
you and all his closest servants that I love you and desire to serve
you.
Draft. Endd. Fr. 1¾ pp. [France VI. 12.]
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Aug. 13.
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298. WALSINGHAM to BURGHLEY.
— Paris, 13 Aug. 1581.
See 'Compleat Ambassador,' p. 386. Add. Endd. 1 p. [France VI.
10.]
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Aug. 13.
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299. WALSINGHAM, COBHAM, and SOMERS to the DUKE OF ANJOU.
After the terms used lately by the king to us, how he was desirous
of entering into a straiter amity with the Queen our sovereign,
seeing the difficulties she made in regard to her marriage, and that
he would depute persons to confer with us, we were hoping to
proceed in that matter, when on account of the language held by
M. de Vray, your minister, it was broken off. He said that he was
charged to beg his Majesty on the part of your Highness not to treat
of a league without marriage, thinking still to see a good effect
thereof. This caused his Majesty to delay the proceedings until
he has heard from you on the subject by some one whom he will
at once dispatch. For the same reason we have thought it well
that one of us should go to you ; and the lot having fallen upon
this bearer, Mr Somers, he is setting out, both to hear your pleasure
on the point and receive your commands, as well as to communicate
to your Highness some other reports which we hear in this place.
—Paris, 13 Aug. 1581.
Copy. Endd. by L. Tomson. Fr. 1 p. [France VI. 11.]
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