Simancas: August 1562 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 1, 1558-1567. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1892.

Citation:

'Simancas: August 1562', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 1, 1558-1567, ed. Martin A S Hume( London, 1892), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol1/pp255-259 [accessed 27 November 2024].

August 1562



1 Aug. Brussels Archives. B. M.MS., Add. 28,173a.	178. The Same to the Same. I gave your Highness's letter of credence to the Queen, and in order the better to convey what you ordered me to say I showed her the letter your Highness wrote to me. She read it all through, and divided her answer into three heads. First, that your Highness was right in saying that the warlike preparations here were for the defence of this country, as such was the case ; secondly, about the prince of Condé's people boasting that they had her support in what they are doing against their King, she said that your Highness was well aware that people said what they liked, but that for her part the only thing she had done for the prince of Condé or his friends was to intercede for them with the Queen-Mother and try to bring about a settlement. She had with this object offered to send members of her own Council, but the Queen-Mother had refused this and would send here M. de Vielleville to arrange, and he would be here in three days. The third point relating to your Highness's orders that I should convey the Queen's reply to your Highness for transmission to the King, she answered by saying that I could write to your Highness that she could not avoid sending a fleet to guard her coasts and islands as usual in such times as these, but that it should be so small a one as to give no cause for alarm, and that your Highness may be sure she will do nothing unfitting to her dignity and position. That she had no intention of helping the French rebels against their King unless she is provoked by some insult such as has recently been offered to her ambassador in Paris. This is in substance what she said in many more words and with some digressions. She said it was untrue that the Vidame de Chatres had been here secretly, or that she had sent Peter Meutys to France. He did not go to the King as I wrote some time ago, but to the prince of Condé at Orleans. As regards the Vidame, the person who came here on the 19th ultimo, and was with the Queen several times and lodged in her house left on the 23rd with a servant of the Queen called Killigrew, who returned again on the 29th leaving afresh on the next day taking with him 3,000 crowns to commence victualling Havre de Grace, which the Vidame had come to offer to the Queen and she had accepted. This is now public here, and the French ambassador has advised his King of it. The ships they are now going to send out are six excellent ones well armed, capable of carrying 1,500 to 2,000 men. Those men who pretended to be pirates are to go on board them, and they ought to be sufficient for what they are to do, as Havre is to be voluntarily given up to them and there is no fleet to oppose them. The munitions are being shipped to-day and the men to-morrow. Four more ships have been sent to Ireland with munitions, two of which have orders to remain on the coast opposite Biscay for fear of Spain. The Queen asked me whether your Highness had sent aid to the king of France yet, to which I replied that I had not heard of any troops leaving the States for anywhere. I think she was joking, and I heard a good many things that I do not repeat to avoid offence and as they were not important. The Queen has sent to ask for a copy of what I write to your Highness about yesterday's conversation, and I have replied that if she will send me a copy of what she wishes me to write she will be better satisfied. I do not know whether she will do this or what she will send me, but what I have written here is what really passed, and I have given a general account of it to the French ambassador to enable him to send advice (as he would have heard of it from other quarters). Vielleville is awaiting in Calais information as to whether his coming will be safe and acceptable, and he has been advised to-day that he may come.—London, 1st August 1562.
4 Aug.	179. The King to Bishop Quadra. With respect to the Queen you do well in keeping in with her the best you can and although we are displeased with what your servant has done we clearly see it was from no fault of yours but from his own malice. I entirely approve of all the answers you gave about it to what was said to you on the Queen's behalf, and am very glad that she is satisfied and on better terms than usual with you, which I see by copy of the letter you wrote to Cardinal de Granvelle. As I have advice from the Cardinal and from Madame that they found no clause in the treaties by which the handing over of your servant could be insisted upon, I told the duke of Alva to talk it over with the English ambassador, who, as he was not well posted on matters, made no difficulty at all about it, and said he (the servant) should be handed over at once, which we do not believe yet. He has written to the Queen about it very warmly, and you must make the best use of this you can, although we have no hope that they will hand him over, particularly after the business has gone so far, as you write in your last, as to promise him marriage and an income. You will urge the matter notwithstanding, although politely and with moderation, so that they may not suspect you greatly desire to get him on account of any other more damaging treaties or negotiations, which I am sure do not exist.—Madrid, 4th August 1562.
7 Aug. Brussels Archives. B. M. MS., Add. 28,173a.	180. Bishop Quadra to the Duchess of Parma. Last week I wrote two letters to your Highness giving an account of my interview with the Queen ; and on the 3rd instant I sent to her Secretary to say that if her Majesty had written to your Highness as she had said she would, I had an opportunity of sending the letter by safe hands. The answer was that the letter was written, but he believed the Queen wished to send it herself to Thomas Gresham, her factor in Antwerp, to deliver to your Highness. I did not care to press the matter further so as not to appear in a hurry, but the Secretary has sent me the letter to-day enclosed in a note to me of which I send copy asking me to forward the letter which I do by the ordinary courier. I do not know if she writes in the same sense as she spoke to me, or if she will have altered anything and pretend I did not understand well, but in any case it is clear that your Highness's letter has entirely altered the look of things, and some people think that as your Highness appears to intend to oppose what was being arranged here, they may even abandon their intention of taking possession of Havre de Grace. I am still of opinion, however, that if peace is not concluded these people will persevere in their plans, and that the appearance of suspending the shipment of troops here is simply a compliment they wish to pay to M. de Vielleville, to prove to him that whilst they were negotiating for a settlement they did not push forward their preparations for a rupture. I have always thought that everything depends upon the success of the prince of Condé, which these people here know very well cannot happen if his Majesty takes in hand earnestly the protection of the king of France, and whilst the forces in the States remain undiminished and unoccupied by internal trouble ; and I am therefore convinced that your Highness's letter has been of the greatest importance and utility, since the plans of these people are mainly founded on the belief that things in the States are in such a condition that his Majesty will not and cannot employ his forces to the prejudice of this country, and especially on religious questions. Vielleville came three days ago. He says he only comes to see if this Queen wishes to stand by the peace that has been sworn to or not, and that he will finish his business in one audience. He reports that there are already about 6,000 Spaniards in Guienne, and other things of that sort to prove that his Majesty is really going to help them. He has gone to see the Queen to-day, and I expect he will speak with me to-morrow. I will try to add to this letter what I learn from him, but I expect he will have to stay longer than be says. Five or six days ago a Swede was arrested on this river on the pretext of searching him for some money they said he was taking away with him. They seized on him a packet of sixteen letters from people of position in this country to the king of Sweden urging him to come hither. Two other gentlemen's servants have also been arrested, and many persons of rank are talked about, both men and women and even members of the Council and royal household. They say that information was sent from Sweden by a certain Louis de Feron, otherwise the Count de Gruz, (fn. 1) who is near the King as a spy of Lord Robert's. They had found out his tricks in Sweden and had put him into prison, whence it appears he sent information about these letters. It is a business that does not bode well for the other enterprises the Queen is undertaking, and all else in this country is as inharmonious as this is.—London, 7th August 1562.
7 Aug. B. M. MS. Simancas, Add. 26,056a.	181. Bishop Quadra to Ambassador Vargas (the Spanish Ambassador in Rome). Sends an address from the English catholics asking for an authoritative decision as to the legality of their attending the reformed services. Sets forth the arguments in favour of their being allowed to do so. Asks that a friend of his in Rome, named Martin de Luna, should be granted leave by His Holiness to accept the post of Quadra's chaplain.—London, 7th August 1562.
13 Aug.	182. The King to Bishop Quadra. M. Saint Sulplice, ambassador of the most Christian King, informs me with great sorrow that the queen of England had offered aid to the rebels in France, and was determined to give it. This is quite contrary to the friendship and alliance which exist between her and the French king, and a departure from the terms of the treaty of peace, and, although the King and Queen-Mother have approached the Queen on the subject, they urge me very much also to send a person to her and let her know how ill her action appears to us, and to endeavour to dissuade her from giving help or countenance by word or deed to these French rebels. Although this request appears very reasonable we have not thought fit to send a person expressly for the purpose desired, but have promised that we will take steps in the matter through you, and we therefore instruct you to speak to the Queen, as soon as you receive this, and tell her how sorry the Christian King and the Queen-Mother are that she should have promised aid to the rebels, and expressly as the rising is not a religious one, as may be seen by its methods and objects. Say that this is contrary to the mutual help and countenance that princes should give to each other, and to the general peace which now exists, and an extremely bad precedent for her own kingdom and others, and might produce evil consequences if rebels came to understand that they could obtain help. This has caused us to extend our help to the Christian King, as we have informed you, having in view that if the rebels were to get the upper hand the fire would be so near our own States that we could not avoid being troubled thereby. We have no desire to have fresh burdens put upon us in this way, and we are determined to do our best to obviate it, and if the Queen will consider the matter she will see that she ought to play the same game. We therefore beg her very affectionately not to allow the rebels to look to her for help or countenance by word or deed, but to maintain the friendship, good fellowship, and alliance which now exist between us three. If she says that I have offered, on my part, help to the Christian King, you can answer that she has not the same obligation towards these seditious rebels as I have to maintain my brother the King, whose cause is so just that not only his allies but every prince in christendom ought to come to his aid in order to suppress so bad an example to their own subjects. You will urge this, and set forth persuasively the arguments in its favour, showing her the obligations under which she rests, and the evil results of her own action, as well as the great damage to me personally arising therefrom, which she could not help regretting. Advise my ambassador in France of what passes in order that he may tell the Queen-Mother.—Wood of Segovia, 13th August 1562.