Elizabeth: November 1585, 1-5 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers Foreign: Elizabeth, Volume 20, September 1585-May 1586. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1921.

Citation:

'Elizabeth: November 1585, 1-5', in Calendar of State Papers Foreign: Elizabeth, Volume 20, September 1585-May 1586, ed. Sophie Crawford Lomas( London, 1921), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/foreign/vol20/pp131-145 [accessed 25 November 2024].

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November 1585, 1–5



[Nov., beginning of.]	“Minute of her Majesty's Letters Patent to be made for appointing Sir Philip Sydney to be governor of Flushing.”
	[This has been altered by Burghley so as to serve for the commission to Sir Thomas Cecil to be governor of the town and forts of the Brill. (fn. 1) ]
	Endd. 1¼ pp. [Ibid. V. 1.]
[Nov., beginning of.]	Memorial from SIR THOMAS CECIL.
	“Remembrances” presented by Sir Thomas, concerning the Brill. Apostiled with answers in the margin.
	To know her Majesty's pleasure touching the further fortifying of the town if need be, and her resolution for the present repair of what is fallen down.
	[Margin.] If the town remains in her Majesty's hands, then to be viewed by Sir W. Pelham, and the Lord General to move the States to do what he shall find necessary.
	That for all manner of munition and all sorts of stores fit for such a town, a proportion of stores for three months may be [given], besides the ordinary and daily allowance for every band.
	[Margin.] The Lord General to solicit the States for the execution of the 4th article in the last contract.
	That her Majesty will direct the Lord Lieutenant General to deal with the States to give her the martial government of the whole Islands of East and West Vorne, as they have done of the towns; and as every day numbers of horses are carried out of “those two,” to transport to the enemy, that authority may be given to the governor to stay all such transportations without licence under his hand and seal.
	[Margin.] Her Majesty to be moved to recommend the same to the Lord General.
	That the weakness of the town may be viewed and certified by Pelham at his now going over.
	[Margin.] Answered in the first article.
	And that she would write letters of thanks to those of the Brill for their good and kind dealings towards her garrison, and that they will aid the governor in the defence of the town, if he finds it fit to add any new fortification or repair what is now in decay, either in the ports or the town.
	[Margin.] Her Majesty to be moved therein.
	Holograph. Endd. 1 p. [Holland V. 2.]
	Notes by Sir Thomas Cecil of “The names of such gentlemen as go voluntary with me, and find lances of themselves.”
	Rowland Lytton, William Purvey, Powlter, each iii lances.
	William Browne, Mountscue, each ii lances.
	Thomas Wyngfyld, i lance.
	My cousin Thomas Cave, iii lances.
	“Lances ready in my stable":—
	Great horses, vii; geldings for lance, xxi.
	Total xlv. [Added by Burghley-"And v more from the Lord Treasurer.”]
	“I carry over with me of the roll of my household xxv, all in one livery with halberds, to attend upon me as my guard.”
	Endd. by Burghley. “Fifty horses to be sent into Holland with Thomas Cecil, Decr., 1585,” but was probably drawn up in November. ½ p. [Ibid. V. 3.]
[Nov., beginning of.]	Instructions for Sir Thomas Cecil (fn. 2) from the Privy Council.
	Is to make his repair to Brill with what speed he may, and there receive from Mr. Henry Norreys the keys and government of the town and forts. After delivering her Majesty's letters to the burghers, is to let them understand that he has special charge to see that the soldiers in garrison there behave in civil manner and without offence to the inhabitants, and in default thereof to be punished with all severity, and that her Majesty hopes that on their part they will entertain the said soldiers lovingly, and afford them all things necessary at reasonable prices.
	He shall further signify to them that in respect of their readiness to receive her garrison and their goodwill towards herself, her Majesty is pleased to grant that merchants of their town resorting into her realms shall have and enjoy the same liberty for transporting of goods into or out of the said realms as her own natural subjects.
	He is to have special care that no offence is offered or committed by any of her subjects against the inhabitants, and to see the same severely punished. And for avoiding of quarrels growing by unlawful play or resort of the soldiers to taverns and alehouses, he shall cause “public prohibition to be made for the restraint of the same.”
	And albeit her Majesty trusts that she need not recommend to him the care of his ordinary “watches and guardings in and about the town and fortress,” yet they would put him in remembrance that the same be vigilantly looked to by himself and effectually kept and observed by the captains and soldiers under his government.
	He is, with advice of the burghers, to appoint some special officer of officers to take account of every stranger who enters the town and where he lodges, who is to deliver to him a daily report in writing.
	And as the chief cause which has moved her Majesty to give help to the poor afflicted people of those countries is the defence of those in profession of the gospel, he is not to forget “that the use of exercises of common prayer and preaching, according to the laws of England, be daily and publicly had and maintained in the English tongue, and to foresee that every captain with his company not occupied otherwise . . . in necessary services, do daily and orderly frequent the public exercise of prayers and preaching”; for which purpose he is to require the use of some church or like place, meet for their assembly.
	He shall further take care that all order and ordinances set down for the good government of the town be duly observed, and offenders sharply punished, and that a copy of such ordinances as are now observed there be sent over to the Council to be perused and allowance of them given accordingly.
	And for his more orderly government of the town, he shall have given to him a copy of the covenants made between her Majesty and the commissioners of the States “concerning the authority accorded for government of that town.”
	Endd. “Minute of instructions for Sir Thomas Cecil and Sir Philip Sydney.” Draft, corrected by Burghley. 4 pp. [Holland V. 4.]
[Nov., beginning of.]	The Privy Council to the Treasurer at War.
	Touching the enquiries received from him in writing as to the course he is to hold, 1. for issuing and disbursing the 10,000l. by a late privy seal; 2. for the inequality of pay and allowance “to be made to gentlemen of bands, 'muschetiers,' corslets &c”; 3. For the “rembursement” of the sums issued for furnishing and transportion of the pioneers, and the 3,000l. delivered to Mr. John Norreys for the levying and furnishing of the 2,000 voluntary men, to be redemanded of the States; 4. How and from what time those lately sent to the Brill and Flushing shall receive their pay; and lastly how the money to be delivered from the States for the month's pay of the 2,000 voluntary men shall be received and paid over to them and by what warrant.
	In answer to the first:—The 10,000l. is appointed to be paid “on that side” by warrant of the Earl of Leicester, but as he cannot be there by the 12th of this month (the day appointed), the treasurer is to issue it, or so much of it as is required, by warrant of Mr. John Norreys, her Majesty's general there. 2. They think fit there should be equality of pay amongst the persons mentioned, but for the better encouragement of the gentlemen &c., they may be allowed ten dead pays among every hundred men, to be distributed among the said gentlemen at the discretion of the captains, with oversight of the General, according to their deserving. 3. Letters shall be written to the General to press the States to make present payment of the money for the pioneers; and for the 3,000l. issued for the levying &c. of the volunteers, 2,000l. was to have been repaid upon their arrival, which is now past, and the other 3,000l. [sic] defalked out of the pay made to those soldiers by the States, upon armour and furniture. 4. The pay of the towns to be by warrant from the General, or in his absence from Mr. Davison. The treasurer shall cause a muster to be taken, and thereupon pay them by poll from the day of their departure from the camp, defalking moneys already paid to them afore or since their departure from England. Lastly, letters shall be written to Mr. Norreys to demand the money for the volunteers, according to an express article of the treaty, of which a copy shall be sent him.
	They remind the treasurer that in the general pay to the whole army, he is to defalk the imprests heretofore made to principal officers, captains and soldiers, whereof they trust he will have particular care.—Undated.
	Copy. Endd. 1 ½ pp. [Holland V. 5.]
[Nov. beginning of].	“Considerations to be weighed concerning the negotiation of Germany and Denmark.”
	The general scope of the negotiation is to induce the King of Denmark and the princes of Germany to enter into a confederacy to withstand the attempts of the papists to put into execution the Council of Trent. The particular respect is to obtain aid for the King of Navarre.
	The negotiation may best be compassed by an assembly of the reformed princes and Estates (as was sought by the sending of Mr. Bodley). If no such diet be already assembled or appointed, the princes should be severally urged to call one, and (in case it should be deferred) to give a particular aid to the King of Navarre, as his state requires haste.
	Her Majesty mindeth to employ herein the Lord Willoughby (if there be a diet) and Mr. Daniel Rogers, who if there be no diet is to execute the negotiation, but if there be one, to direct and assist Lord Willoughby.
	Mr. Rogers is to go first to the Landgrave of Hesse and learn what answer he has had from the Electors of Saxony and Brandenburg, and then to Duke Casimir, from which two princes may best be learned what course to follow; as also where Lord Willoughby is, and what M. Segur has compassed.
	Her Majesty must furnish her said orators with letters to the several princes, viz. to the King of Denmark; Duke Casimir; the Elector of Saxe; his wife; the Elector of Brandenburg; his son, “being primate of Germany” ; his cousin the Marquis of Ansbach (Antzbaghe) governor of Prussia; Duke Julius of Brunswick; his cousin Duke Otto of Luneburg; the Landgrave of Hesse; the Dukes of Würtemberg, Holst, Pomerland and Mecklenburg, and the Prince of Anhalt.
	All these princes are to be urged to assemble a diet, and to be moved concerning the practices of the papists, and that if the King of Navarre and the churches of France are overcome, they themselves must look then for the like, wherefore they are to be exhorted to make a contrary league for defence of the Religion and their own subjects. They must bethink them what each will contribute, who shall be chief officers and in what sort they will proceed.
	Duke Casimir and the Landgrave are to be desired to deal with the “chiefest Counts” making profession of the Religion, with the Free Cities and with the Switzers, to induce them to this alliance. Her Majesty must send letters to the Swiss protestant cantons, who aided the Elector Truchsess with 30,000 crowns in the last wars.
	As for the King of Navarre, all the above are to be desired to favour so just a cause; not to let their own subjects serve the enemy; not to permit any other that will serve him to pass through their jurisdictions, and to aid the said King with men and money.
	It should be known how much her Majesty will give for his relief. Item. If only the King of Denmark and some one other prince will concur, whether her Majesty will then contribute, and how much? It is thought the King of Navarre has a good sum ready in Germany, and if the King of Denmark and her Majesty brought it up to two or three hundred thousand crowns, a “round army” of 10,000 reiters, 8,000 Switzers and three or four thousand other footmen might be levied.
	As there is no such loss as loss of time, her Majesty should procure money forthwith to be sent into Germany, if there be none there for her already, or at least furnish her orators with letters to Duke Casimir, Duke Julius of Brunswick or the Landgrave, asking them to disburse so much as she would give, to be repaid at an appointed time; they being furnished with a form of obligation to leave with the said princes.
	Her orators should be thoroughly informed of the state of France; the proceedings of that King and his adherents, and the necessities of the King of Navarre.
	Lastly, Duke Julius having written to her Majesty “of a certain kind of trade which he desireth might be made into his countries,” inviting her to send some to view the havens &c, her orators must be informed of her pleasure herein, that he may see that she does not reject his offers.
	And the Landgrave of Hesse having asked for a discourse touching Sir Francis Drake's first voyage, his request should be satisfied.
	Endd. “November, 1585.” 3 pp. [Germany, States, III. 83.]
Nov. 1.	Davison to Burghley.
	Our serjeant-major here bringing me the keys last night after the shutting of the gates told me that St. Aldegonde was come that evening (fn. 3) to his house at “Sowburg,” and this day his son brought me a letter from him, of which I send you the copy. The Council having some advertisement of his arrival, sent the pensioners of Middelburg and this town to sound the cause of his coming and to charge him to keep his house till they should advise further in his behalf, which after many discourses he promised to obey, “pretending to be come hither only to purge and excuse himself of the crimes wherewith he stood (as he saith) unjustly charged; wherein he had before prepared his way by an Apology in his defence, the conclusion whereof detecteth somewhat else. For mine own part, I see so much as, if things be not all the better carried by my lord of Leicester at his coming, we shall, in my poor opinion, deceive our hope, . . . a thing I suspect much if it be not the more seasonably provided for.
	“I hope if Sir Philip Sidney were here, to take advantage of her Majesty's licence for a few days, to inform her of some things needful before my Lord's coming.”—Flushing, 1 November, 1585.
	Holograph. Add. Endd. 1 p. [Holland V. 6.]
Nov. 1.	Davison to Walsingham.
	To the same effect as that to Burghley above, but at much greater length. Says he was advertised the night before that St. Aldegonde “was not an hour before landed at the Head and gone to his house.” [As the part relating to St. Aldegonde is printed in extenso by Motley, the chief points only are given here. The first part much the same as to Burghley.] St. Aldegonde declared to the deputies of Zeeland that he had no commission from Parma to make an offer of peace, “as a thing which neither the Prince had any power to yield unto with the surety of religion, or himself would or could in conscience persuade without it.” He commended the course taken with her Majesty, and told them how much the news thereof, especially since the entry of the English into this garrison had afflicted the enemy, who however hope that “between the factions and partialities nourished by his industry and ministers . . . and the misgovernment of our people, there will be yet occasion enough offered him to make his profit and advantage.”
	St. Aldegonde has many friends persuaded of his innocency. It is well that the treaty with her Majesty was finished and the cautionary towns assured before his coming.
	It is said that General Norreys has taken the other fort over against Nimeguen. The enemy has sent some horse and foot to make head against him. The mutiny of the Almains and Walloons in his camp was very great, but is appeased. He has “new retrenched” the citadel of Antwerp towards the town and proceeds to re-edify it. He has intelligence with some companies in Ostend. Those suspected are to be withdrawn and their places supplied by the two companies of English lying in Tertolle.—Flushing, 1 November, 1585.
	Postscript.—“Howsoever St. Aldegonde would seem to purge himself it is suspected his end is dangerous.” Has done what he could to “restrain” him, but so that it may not seem to come from him.
	Holograph. Add. Endd. 2 pp. [Holland V. 7.]
	[Motley has a few insignificant variations from the original. The only ones of any importance are that on p. 259, l. 21, “recovered” should be “received,” and. p. 260, l. 24, “musters” should be “ministers.”]
Nov. 1.	“Minute” of the above letter; but instead of the postscript concerning St. Aldegonde, is a request that if he [Davison] is not allowed to return home, some additional allowance may be granted him, “in regard” of the charge he will be at, at the Earl of Leicester's coming.
Nov. 1.	Endd. 1 ½ pp. [Ibid. V. 8.]
Nov. 1/11.	St. Aldegonde to M. D'Orsmale, deputy to the Council of State at the Hague.
	After long travails of mind following my bodily sufferings at Antwerp, I resolved, both to maintain my honour and to preserve my wife and children, to come to my house here in Walcheren; where I have found a man of mine named Engelbert Colyns, who has had some charge of my affairs, but whom I now desire to send home to Antwerp, to which end I pray you to grant him a passport. He already had one, but for so short a time that he can not use it, especially as my son Jacob has returned hither. The Sieurs Hesselt and Meganck, who are leaving Antwerp and are in great trouble, especially Hesselt, have asked me to write you a line to beg that they may be told if, coming to these parts, they would not be subject to a thousand annoyances. They have borne themselves well and faithfully and their sufficiency is well known to you. In many ways Hesselt might be useful to our country.
	If you see the minister Plantius, I pray you to inform him that I have seen about twenty articles, full of wicked lies and impudent calumnies against me. I suspect they come from his shop, but if he be a minister of God's word, as he professes, he should not conceal his name; and if it is done from zeal to his country it is more than reason that he should avow his accusations, or he is as far removed from the patron of St. Paul and Jesus Christ as the apostles of Satan are from those of our Lord. If my suspicion wrongs him, he will do me a great pleasure to let me know it, for I should be sorry to suspect an honest man wrongfully, especially a minister of God's word.
	But I suspect the style, and especially the similarity of the accusation to that which he gave me himself against M. de Tymple. He need not excuse himself by saying that others had a hand in it, for I quite think that Dr. Nicolai, Gosiny, and perhaps Guerwyn[?] have helped in it. And if he defends the articles I will meet him whenever he likes, in prison or in fetters, on condition qu'il mette pied a boule, and if I do not convince him of calumny and lying, my head shall pay for it. If on the other hand I show that he has traduced me and dishonored me before all Christendom, that he shall then submit to the eternal law written by Moses, which he knows very well. If he is neither author nor accomplice, I ask his pardon with all my heart. But if he has done me the greatest injury ever shown to living man, I know the law prescribed to me by the Lord Jesus Christ, my master, and shall pray in our Lord's name that he may not in future dishonour the gospel, but keep to his holy vocation, leaving civil affairs to those to whom God has committed them.
	I have borne myself in my charge as honourably as a man of my quality could do, without boasting, and if I have done otherwise, I am here to give satisfaction to those to whom it belongs; but insult, cruelty and robbing an honest man of his honour are things so abominable that I cannot believe God will bless this country. I pray you say this to Plantius on my part, or show him this. But I repeat that if I have done him wrong, I will give him all possible reparation.—Soubourg in Zeeland, 11 November, 1585.
	Copy. Endd. Fr. 2¾ pp. [Holland V. 9.]
Nov. 1.	The Commissioners of the Hanse Towns to Walsingham.
	Latin letter of which a summary is given below.—London, kalends of November, 1585.
	Add. Endd. 3 pp. [Hamburg and Hanse Towns II. 24.]
Nov. 1.	Abstract, in English, of the above letter.
	“To haste their taking leave and despatch away.
	“Many things in the final answer sent them by my lords which might well be replied against; but they leave to the cities that sent them their liberty (notwithstanding this their treaty here) to answer this final answer, hoping that the four cities from which they are sent will shortly assemble somewhere.
	“That they understand not what that meaneth in this final answer, of accepting of offers.
	“That these particular treatises that have passed for traffic of our merchants and the Hansemen, were grounded upon a league of general peace and comity between them and us; which league is the knot of all particular treaties and whereon also dependeth the residence at Hamburg. And therefore these Hansemen should not be, as now they are, reputed strangers to us.
	“To be excused that they yield not, because they can do nothing contrary to the instructions given them by their magistrates.
	“They like well that her Majesty writeth to the four cities herself her mind; which if it had been done straight after the conference at Neustat, this their legation had not been now so fruitless.
	“They desire to be well thought of here, as honest men, doubting some ill-affected to them have charged them with some false accusations here.”
	1 p. [Hamburg and Hanse Towns II. 25.]
Nov. 2/12.	M. De Chasteauneuf.
	Memorial from the French ambassador of what he has commanded Le Sueur, his secretary, to say on his behalf.
	Upon the proposal of the Lord Treasurer made to the said Le Sueur:—that he has not yet communicated it to France, and desires to discuss it further with his lordship the next time he comes to town.
	As to what Mr. Walsingham said in regard to Scotland:—He prays Mr. Walsingham to say to the Queen that he is not bound to give an account of the informations he sends to the King his master, yet to show her Majesty how sincerely he works to preserve friendship between the two crowns [he will state] that he has never written that she had sent 5,000 men into Scotland; and if he had heard such a thing, before writing to the King, he should have spoken to her Majesty about it, as a matter greatly importing the service of his master, from whom he had express charge to aid the Scottish King, as the most ancient friend and ally of the crown of France, and to omit no good offices towards her Majesty in this behalf. So that as he did not mention it to her at his last audience, she may rest assured that he had sent no word of it to the King; to whom he will never write anything which might disturb the friendship between their Majesties unless he be obliged to do so in obedience to his charge.
	To remind Mr. Walsingham and the lords of the Council to revoke the commissions granted to some of Bristol under false pretences, for the stay of the ships and merchandise of St. Malo, and to get them to deliver to him [Le Sueur] letters of this revocation, that the inhabitants of St. Malo may be enabled the more freely and safely to trade with the English. Also to pray Mr. Walsingham to speak to the Queen on behalf of the Sieur de St. Jehan, and remind her of the letters written by the King is his behalf.
	And the ambassador prays Mr. Walsingham to take order that justice may be done to Jehan de Frangeaulx, merchant of Bordeaux, by the Sieur de Sacfort, as regards the 250l. owed him these three years, in pursuit of which Frangeaulx has spent more than the original sum, and in favour of whom also, the King has written to her Majesty.—London, 12 November, 1585.
	Signed by Le Sueur on behalf of the ambassador.
	Endd. Fr. 1 ½ pp. [France XIV. 105.]
	Enclosing :
	Extracts of two letters from M. de la Hillière, governor of Bayonne, one to the King, the other to the French ambassador, in relation to the ship of St. Jean de Luz, taken by a ship of Sir George Carey's.
	To the ambassador :—Recommending “these poor mariners,” who, when they have got letters from the King, are going to England to obtain justice and restitution of their ships and merchandise, taken by the English on the coast of Spain when coming over from the Terre Neufve. In this hope, he has prevented any wrong being done to the English arriving at St. Jean de Luz and when the inhabitants attempted to abuse them, had the offenders punished and what had been seized, restored.—25 September, 1585.
	To the King:—Sends the informations taken concerning the depredations of the English. Has prevented the English from receiving any harm or ill-treatment, but has only with difficulty held in these people “assez rustique,” and since then, upon fresh captures made by the English (set out in the said informations), having given notice to them to go and reclaim their ships and goods, which are stayed in England (according to his Majesty's orders) hopes by this means to obtain redress for them, excepting the irreparable loss of the men who have been killed.—11 November [sic], 1585.
	Endd. 1¼ pp. [Ibid. XIV. 106.]
Nov. 2/12.	[Davison] to M. De Maulde.
	I account it a great favour that you should have imparted to me your good meaning and wise counsels, as you have done by your letters of Nov. 1 [see p. 108 above]. Above all I rejoice in the confidence you show in her Majesty, as regards the aid she has given and will give for the comfort of these afflicted countries; being assured that every day you will be confirmed therein, by all the service and duty which will be possible to her most faithful servants.
	I hope also that Messieurs the Estates will acquit themselves so well of their duty that nothing shall be wanting to the accomplishment of so great a work; and that to this end they will give as full authority to the Earl of Leicester as shall be needful for the rule and government of affairs, especially of war. The disorder of which you write, both in the fleet and elsewhere, and the little notice which has been taken of those whom you call in your language Lourendrayers, real pests of the Republic, will soon be set right by more care; so that in future the enemy may not be aided by roguery; it being very necessary to frustrate his designs by lack of victuals.
	I hear that with the assistance of those of Nimeguen, he has gone with his best troops to meet General Norreys and his forces, who have made themselves masters of another fort not far from that town. It will be well to cut off their provisions and thus force them to reason.
	I hourly expect Sir Philip Sidney, a gentleman of great spirit and courage and a very faithful friend of your State, and am assured that his uncle the Earl of Leicester will follow him immediately, he having made all preparations to leave England on the 18th, with a goodly company of nobles. May God direct all their designs and actions to his glory and the deliverance of this afflicted people. I hope you will rejoice at their coming and shortly feel the effect thereof.
	I am much grieved that one of your best beloved sons has been shot under his eye, and should be more so if I had not heard that he is beginning to recover. I trust soon to be able to congratulate you further, hoping that as I am most desirous to prove the kindness I feel towards you, I may be able to do so through your son, whom I hear is a very courteous, noble and hopeful gentlemen.—Flushing, 12 November, 1585.
	Copy. Add. Fr. 2½ pp. [Holland V. 10.]
Nov. 3.	Stafford to Burghley.
	I humbly thank you for your letters and assurances of goodwill, which in truth I never doubted. If in any letter I have showed discontentment, “your lordship knoweth whom it reacheth to and not to your lordship, of whom I never found but all the friendship that I desired.” If it ever lieth in me to serve you, you shall see how I love and honour you and yours.
	French men love to believe nouvelles, and never any I think more than he who is now in England, for in the little space he has been there, he has written many extraordinary untruths, “inasmuch that he hath here lost that reputation that he will scarce get again a great while.”
	Yesternight a letter came to my hand written by a papist in Rome to an English papist here, wherein were these words: “My Lord Treasurer's `nevew' hath been here, who hath been very well used at the Cardinal Savelli's hands. He hath been at the exercises in the Jesuits' College and our seminary, which he hath hearkened to very attentively and doth profess to like greatly; but we esteem it all but dissimulation.”
	I thought good to tell you this, though I know it will be no pleasure to you to hear it. If I can serve you in any way in it, command me and I will obey.
	For news, I leave you to my letters to Mr.Secretary. I have written one in cipher to him to communicate to you. I dare not write all things to her Majesty for divers reasons; “the one that she doth often hope of things that fall not out, and so linger that which is for her good and service”; the other that there is no certainty to be grounded upon anything they determine here, and they are so false “as there is no trust neither to their words nor shows.” I pray God to lead her Majesty to do the best for his glory, for I think the time is come when he will either plague the wicked for their sins, or suffer his servants to be corrected for their amendment.—Paris, 3 November, 1585.
	Holograph. Add. Endd. 1 ½ pp. [France XIV. 107.]
Nov. 3.	Walsingham to Lord Willoughby.
	“Heads of a letter.”
	That her Majesty, before the repair of his servant hither, meant to send Daniel Rogers to him, who she thought should have found him with Duke Casimir.
	That the said Rogers was to carry with him letters to most part of the princes of Germany, as her Majesty's meaning was that his lordship, assisted by the said Daniel, should have solicited these princes to assist the King of Navarre, according to the advice of Duke Casimir and the Landgrave, “whom she doth think to be the only forward gentlemen in good causes in that country.”
	That her Majesty, finding by copies of letters written to the King of Denmark by the Dukes of Saxony and Brandenburg how coldly they are affected, and doubting what harm might ensue if her former intended course worked no good effect, has thought good to stay that course until she knows the King of Denmark's opinion in the matter.
	That he is to send some express messenger, that thereupon she may take further resolution.
	That if, on conference with that King, he finds likelihood to do any good for the King of Navarre, “I cannot but encourage his lordship to accept that charge upon him” and then Daniel Rogers shall be sent to assist him, with letters to such princes as he shall think good.
	That, for defraying of his charges, “he write unto me to move her Majesty” to give what is fit for a man of his place and for her honour.
	“That his lordship, by the extract of the advertisements out of France, may find how severely the King proceedeth against the King of Navarre and those of the Religion.
	“That according unto man's judgment, he is likely to be overthrown unless he be assisted by her Majesty and the rest of the princes protestants.”
	The King of Denmark may want to know what her Majesty will contribute towards the levy of reiters, but she cannot be brought to set down any sum until she hears what he will do.
	“That it is meant that the Inquisition shall be planted in France, wherein they have so far forth proceeded as they are not content with their going to mass, but force them to abjure the Religion; a most wicked and devilish course, that all princes that have any touch in conscience ought to be moved therewith and not to spare neither life nor goods in so Christian a quarrel. . . .
	“That I wish that those princes that he shall deal withal would be as forward in yielding support in maintenance of so good a cause as his lordship will be in soliciting the same.”
	Endd. with date. 4 ½ pp. [Denmark I. 66.]
Nov. 3.	[Walsingham ?] to Duke Casimir.
	Although her Majesty sees how little zeal some of the protestant princes of Germany have for the common cause, as appears by the cold response brought by Mr. Bodley, yet she does not wish to lose courage or to give up her godly intention, but has taken a fresh resolution-seeing that dangerous disaster threatens all who profess the gospel and that their enemies are more bitter against them than ever-to make one more attempt, and partly by your means, who she believes can do much to persuade the other princes, for although they are by nature somewhat tardy, owing to the cold climates they inhabit, we must not despair of their opening their eyes at last to the evil which so nearly presses upon them.
	To this good end, her Majesty will give commission to the Baron de Willough by, a nobleman of quality and a lover of the cause, to renew the overture on her part to the said princes, according to the commission and instructions which in a few days she will despatch by Mr. Daniel Rogers, whom your Excellency is acquainted with, and who is ordered to second his lordship in this legation; both being expressly ordered to govern themselves by the opinion and counsel of yourself and the Landgrave of Hesse, as the two princes of whose zeal and sincerity her Majesty is entirely assured.
	Copy. Endd. with date. Fr. 1 ½ pp. [Germany, States, III. 84.]
Nov. 4/14.	The Estates of Holland and Zeeland.
	Act for the “reduction” of the government of Utrecht with that of Holland and Zeeland.
	Declaring that in making Count Maurice governor, captain-general and admiral of Holland and Zeeland, these Estates had no intention that the government of Utrecht should be separated from that of their provinces, which has been done without their knowledge and consent. The province of Utrecht is hereby required at once to re-unite with the said government; those of Holland and Zeeland being desired to aid by all means in bringing this about as speedily as possible.—The Hague, 14 November, 1585.
	Signed, C. de Rechtere. Copy. Endd. Fr. 1 p. [Holland V. 11.] The substance given by Bor, bk. xx, f. 85.
	Another copy of the same.
	Copy. Endd. Fr. 1 p. [Ibid. V. 12.]
Nov. 5/15.	M. De Hornes to Davison.
	Desiring him to give credit to all that the bearer, William Fownds, Mr. Erington's man, has to say concerning the state of this town.—Ostend, 15 November, 1585.
	Postscript.—Begs his lordship to procure him a place in the service of her Majesty. Also prays him to hasten the two English companies intended for the town, and more, if it is possible. Thanks God for the English there, for without them, the soldiers' patience would long ago have turned to fury. Mr. Erington's prudence has done much to aid in this, he being a man of great merit and many good qualities, and whom he honours as a father.
	Holograph. Add. Endd. Fr. 1 p. [Flanders I. 41.]
Nov. 5.	The Queen to the King of Denmark.
	We have no doubt that your highness has been apprised of the controversies that have existed between us and our predecessors and the Hanse League, touching the privileges to be exercised by the League in our realm. Of these privileges they are unwilling that we should be the judges, and by a custom strange to us, and as we think most unfair and prejudicial to our royal estate, they challenge us to submit to the tribunals of others, to whom this kingdom was never subject, and to whom we cannot grant such authority over our affairs and subjects.
	Even the Emperor saw this, and in his decree given last year at Prague to the syndic of Lubeck, he advised them to treat us with more consideration and not to insist, in view of the general state of affairs, on all the points of their privileges. Yet when commissioners lately arrived here from them, far from yielding to the Emperor's wise warning, they even drew back from the conditions offered to us the year before by the Alderman of the Steelyard, one of the said commissioners; by which it may be seen that they hope the circumstances of the times will compel us to give them everything.
	We have thought fit to inform your Highness of this, since they are behaving to us in the same way as they formerly behaved to the Kings of Denmark, and might become even more arrogant towards others if they got what they wanted now. We would also have you know that although we can clearly prove that by right nothing is due to them in our realm, we made an offer to them of such immunities therein as our proper and natural subjects enjoy (provided they would grant the same to our subjects in their cities) pending a settlement of the question of privileges. This offer they summarily rejected.
	Since then, their minds are so inflamed that they have even devised plans for attacking our royal dignity (we know that some of them have mooted the question of joining forces with the enemy against us) and for dishonouring by the name of monopoly the honourable trade of our merchants-permitted at Antwerp for a hundred years before the upheavals in the Low Countries-which they did to such effect throughout Germany that they almost obtained the extirpation of the English from the Empire. We most earnestly beseech you to break down these attempts by your authority, for our expulsion, in the present state of the Low Countries and France, cannot but result in a great set-back to religion and our cause.
	Since therefore your neighbourhood to them gives you more importance in their eyes than we have, we pray you to write letters to the four cities and to the city of Hamburg of such tenor as the bearer of this will signify to your chancellor or other councillors.—Richmond, 5 November, 1585.
	Minute. Latin. 1 ½ pp. [Denmark I. 67.]
Nov. 5.	Dr. John Schulte to Sir Richard Saltonstall, Governor of the Society of Merchants Adventurers.
	I must not fail to let you know that we have received a final answer from the Queen, and that yesterday we took leave of her and intend in two days to set out for Germany.
	You will no doubt recollect the discussion I lately had with you by letter, and the deliberation that has been held in regard to the matter of your Society. I understand that the affair has been approved by the Council, and the necessary letters written to the proper quarters. The only thing that remains to be done is to fix on some person to be sent with these letters. Luckily you have a good opportunity at hand for doing this. An envoy from the King of Denmark is here, and yesterday received his answer and letters from the Queen. I believe about the beginning of next week he will take shipping direct for Denmark. You have only to speak to him and attach your messenger to his suite. The greatest danger lies in delay, for the cities appointed to deliberate on this business will be convoked immediately on our return, and your letters must be handed in at that congress, before anything to your prejudice is resolved upon. John Roberts can explain all this more fully to you, if you please.—London, 5 November, 1585.
	Add. Endd. Latin. 1¼ pp. [Hamburg and Hanse Towns II. 26.]