Simancas: June 1585 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1896.

Citation:

'Simancas: June 1585', in Calendar of State Papers, Spain (Simancas), Volume 3, 1580-1586, ed. Martin A S Hume( London, 1896), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/simancas/vol3/pp538-539 [accessed 27 November 2024].

June 1585



1 June. Paris Archives, K. 1563. 72.	395. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King. I have received confirmation of the news from England I sent in my last, to the effect that they had captured, whilst he was attempting to escape from the country, the earl of Arundel, who is a brother (son?) of the duke of Norfolk whom the Queen beheaded. As soon as the Earl reached London he was lodged in the Tower, and at the same time the earl of Northumberland was kept closer in the same fortress. The Queen also ordered the immediate arrest of my lord (William), the brother of the earl of Arundel, and that of Lord Harry his uncle, who are consigned to the care of Lord North, a great heretic, and it is said they are to be cast into the Tower. At the same time they took prisoner Harchilo (Harpsfield?), a Catholic and a very great physician, who had been put to the torture on suspicion of carrying on communications with Catholics, and the partizans of the queen of Scots, under cover of his profession. They have also hanged a man before the queen of Scotland's window for having in his possession secret letters written by her. Paulet has now the care of her, his illness having for some time delayed his taking over the charge. An Act was passed in Parliament ordering all priests to leave the country within 40 days, both those who are imprisoned and others, for whom passage will be found for any port they may choose, upon their presenting themselves during the period named. After that time is expired any justice may hang them without further formality or trial. Although some of them have taken advantage of this concession, yet, God be thanked! He has infused so much fervour in many of the seminarists that they go over daily to England with glad hearts and wonderful firmness to win the crown of martyrdom. Of the 10,000 men the Queen had ordered to be raised there had been mustered in London 2,000 pikemen, 1,600 harquebussiers, and 400 halberdiers ; and a number of Englishmen had shipped over clandestinely to reinforce the fleet in Zeeland, which was about to attempt the blockade of Antwerp. With this object foreigners had been paid four or five pounds sterling each. Although it was said that the levy had been made by the Queen in consequence of a promise to the king of France that she would fulfil her treaty obligations to help him with 10,000 men against the forces of Cardinal Bourbon and the Guises, she has really secretly sent officers to Rochelle and to the prince of Bearn, offering help and succour. The earl of Leicester was on very bad terms with Master Raleigh, the Queen's new favourite. The ambassador here, Stafford, has, by the Queen's orders, been bringing great pressure to bear upon the King to prohibit the sale of certain books which have been translated into French about the lives of the Queen and the earl of Leicester, (fn. 1) and to order the arrest of the translator, who is an Englishman. A letter dated 9th instant confirms the return of Raleigh's ships in bad case.—Paris, 1st June 1585.
7 June. Paris Archives, K. 1563. 75.	396. Bernardino De Mendoza to the King. [Extract.] I have news from England dated the 14th ultimo, that they had arrested Pedro de Zubiaur, by order of the Queen, and had confined him in the house of an alderman of London, after which he was taken to the Tower. The reason for this was that some letters for the prince of Parma were seized from a courier, who confessed that he had received them from Pedro de Zubiaur. His imprisonment will be to the detriment of your Majesty's service, as he was certainly very careful and intelligent, and sent hither all necessary information as to events in England. These numerous arrests recently will make it very difficult for me to establish fresh means of communication, but I am trying to do so by every possible way.—Paris, 7th June 1585. Note.—In a note to Juan de Idiaquez accompanying the above, the following passage occurs, relating to the proposed invasion of England : "The prince of Parma's requests to the King for Spanish troops is a good excuse for raising a fleet in Spain for the purpose I have mentioned. His Holiness will be obliged to grant His Majesty some help in the execution of it, as it is so proper a thing, and Pope Gregory had consented to do so. I just mention this by the way."