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| April 1. |
P.S.—Since the above written, I received your letter of March 16, and will according to command encourage the party at Cologne to continue his advertisements. I send herewith such as I received yesterday from thence. I have written him in very plain terms of his coming or stay; and you can perceive what he writes by the former replies I sent, as also by the conclusion of this last advice; once he promises still that his service will be accepted and of good moment [sic], I do not mean either to forward or stay his repair over till I know your further pleasure; but leave the consideration of it to his own discretion.—1 April, 1583. |
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Add. Endd. 2¼ pp. [Holl. and Fl. XIX. [1.] |
| April 4. |
219. [Walsingham] to Cobham. |
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Her Majesty finding by your last letters that those of the Religion have already delivered up one of the towns, and doubting therefore lest they should mean to do the like with the rest that remain yet in their hands, thinks it very strange, (considering they cannot be ignorant of the extraordinary superstition the king now gives himself to, and of the severity used of late more than before against them, as appears by your letters, that they will notwithstanding, in so dangerous a time, leave those means out of their hands whereon next, and immediately, under God their safety chiefly depends. Therefore her pleasure is, you should particularly inform yourself what course they mean to take for their defence and safety, and how Marshal Montmorency and the rest of the Religion [sic] stand united together and affected one towards another; for she takes the matter much to heart, and seems to have a disposition to do somewhat for their relief, if necessity shall so require. |
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Draft. Endd. with date. ⅓ p. [France IX. 78.] |
| April 4/14. |
220. Thomas Doyley to Walsingham. |
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The duke has surrendered Vilvorde and Dermonde into the hands of the States. On Thursday he passed through the Land of Waes to Eccloo, and on Friday to Dunkirk. |
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'Mademoiselle' Téligny, now Princess of Orange, came to Flushing the same day, and on Saturday the Prince sent his sister, the Countess of Schwarzburg, thither to her. On Monday she arrived at Antwerp, being met by the Prince, the Prince of Chimay etc. the Estates, the burgomasters, the échevins, the colonels, captains, 'wickmasters.' On Tuesday afternoon at 4 they were married in the castle chapel by Villiers, habillés en deuil, and without any pomp or ceremonies. There were not many of quality at the marriage; only the Prince of Chimay, the 'Grave' van Hohenloo, M. Laval, the Sieur de Fromont, the Sieur de Merode, the Baron of 'Boukstelz,' the Baron of Lyckestein, the Sieur de Sainte-Aldegonde. The rest were 'mechanical estates.' |
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The same day our general and the States 'accorded' for their pay; a month in hand, and a month on the security of the colonels of the city, so that our troops will dislodge out of the Land of Waes to the succour of Eyndhoven, wherein are 1,000 brave soldiers; 500 Scots, 400 French, the rest English or Dutch. The enemy about it is 6,000 foot and 800 horse. Our rendezvous to assemble our camp is Hoogstraat; the number estimated at 13,000. Biron is general of the camp; la Pierre, la Trape, Villiers, Bellefontaine [sic], Marshal Biron's son lieutenant of the Swiss. He with his father has been in Antwerp since last Saturday; which is a sign that the duke will surrender Dixmude and the hostages, for 'only' Biron is worth them all. |
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It is not said that Biron refuses to go to Eyndhoven; but the truth is, he protests against the States for their tardité and nonchalance. If they make no greater haste, I fear that either the town will be lost first, or that the Prince of Parma will be there before them. |
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Some say that the wars of Germany are 'upon a parley.'—The 14th of our April, 1583. |
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Add. Endd. 1 p. [Holl. and Fl. XIX. 2.] |
| April 4/14. |
221. Sainte-Aldegonde to Walsingham. |
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I have written nothing to you since these strange symptoms supervened to the sick body in these parts; not for lack of good will, but because I could not write in such a way that the letter being intercepted, as has often happened in these times, harm might not come to me. You know how dangerous it is to write on like matters. On the other hand, I am assured that you have always had sure people, who have told you the whole story. At present we have negotiated provisionally. His Highness has restored Dendermonde and Vilvorde and has retired to Dunkirk. Meanwhile the succour of Eyndhoven is being forwarded by all means; may God grant it good issue. |
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This young gentleman, going to England to see the country, has asked me for a letter of introduction to you. So as he is one of my good friends, a very honest gentleman of good parents at Cologne whom I wish to gratify and serve, I could not show him the door; and therefore relying on the friendship and good will that you have been pleased always to bear to me, I beg you to show him such favour that he may perceive that I am in your good graces and that you do me the honour to hold me among your best loved and most affectionate servants.—Antwerp, 14 April, 1583. (Signed) Ph. de Marnix. |
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Add. Endd. Fr. 1 p. [Ibid. XIX. 4.] |
| April 4/14. |
222. Agreement between the Elector of Cologne and Duke Casimir. |
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(1) We, Gebhard, hereby make known to all men, that whereas certain disobedient members of our Chapter, and especially
Frederick Duke of Saxony, have for a long time past not only opposed us, but have determined by the aid of Spanish and other foreign troops, on no legitimate ground and in violation of the public peace, contrary to all good feeling and equity, to turn us out of our archiepiscopate, and have further forcibly occupied and hold many of our cities and fortresses on the Rhine, and are diligently seeking to annoy us further and take away our remaining towns; in order to repel this unjust violence and persecution that has been set on foot, we have, for the defence of our own person, our provinces, and subjects, approached the illustrious prince John Casimir, Palatine of the Rhine, and besought him to levy and bring for our use a moderate force of horse and foot. This he has undertaken to do on receiving the necessary matters. In order therefore that he and his troops may have the more security for their pay and the expenses which by military custom and our agreement we are bound to pay both to our friend aforesaid as the commander-in-chief in this pious war, and to the troops which he has levied for our service, as well as those which our cousin, Adolf, Count of Neuenahr, our lieutenant and commander in the lower part of the diocese on the Rhine and our brother Charles Truchsess, Baron of Waldburg, have already at our bidding levied, and which now are in garrison (all which we have determined to join to our friend aforesaid, when he arrives, so that our cousin and brother may be subordinate to him) that all these may be the more secure of what is and will be due to them, we hereby pledge and mortgage our See of Cologne, with all its towns, revenues, and subjects, of all sorts and conditions, without exception; and for further security we promise effectively to hand over to him all our cities on the Rhine, to wit, Bonn, Berck, Arting, and other places, to hold and enjoy till the pay and expenses are discharged. And we renounce all privileges, political and ecclesiastical which might be adduced on our behalf, and promise on the faith of an Elector to come to no terms with our enemies without his privity and express consent. |
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(2) On the other part our friend above-mentioned has promised on the faith of a prince, on his own behalf, and that of the troops whom he has levied, and those placed under his command or hereafter to be levied, that he will be ready to the extent of his power to aid and deliver us in this necessary defence of ourself and our provinces, and to persevere in this service so long as we need it, if we keep our promises to him, and he is not hindered by Divine power or any sudden chance at home; and to conduct themselves a; befits a strenuous general and good soldiers (as we doubt not they will do), and without our knowledge and consent on no account to separate from us or come to terms on any offer or peace or other occasions; but having undertaken with us this pious defence of our Archiepiscopate, with community of counsels and labour to bring it, by God's help, to a just end. All which we, John Casimir, Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria at the instance of our friend and brother Gebhard, etc. approve and will honestly perform to the best of our power;
and will see that our colonels maintain so far as possible the terms of this agreement. It will also be maintained by the aforesaid Count Adolf and Charles Truchsess, and they will testify in writing delivered to us, that they will obey us as commander-in-chief. |
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For greater security we, Gebhard and John Casimir, have set our hands to this agreement in presence of the colonels and rittmeisters, and appended our seals.—Done at Fridelsheim, 14 April, 1583. |
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Copy (made in Germany). Latin. 4 pp. [Germany II. 62.] |
| April 5/15. |
223. —— to Mauvissière. |
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I have wished to advertise you of the misery in which I am, as Mr. Geoffrey [Jofre] Prior can tell you, on account of a Spanish ship which I took at sea on the passage from Tercera to France, four days after the Spanish fleet had battered me all one day with cannon-shot. I did not retain it, either cargo or ship (corps de navire), in order to let it go back to sea to make some goodly voyage. But the luck of weather (fortune de temps) was so against me, that against my will I had to land, thinking that I should be welcome in this country. And being arrived almost dead with hunger and thirst, as indeed I had in my ship certain of my crew dead, whom I caused to be interred, when I had not even entered the harbour nor come within their jurisdiction (connoissance) I was arrested by one named Thomas Arundel, brother of the vice-admiral (? visambre) of this country, to whom I showed my permits and vouchers (congetz et adveus), one from his Highness, another from the king Don Antonio, and another from the Count of Torres Vedras, Governor of Terceira aforesaid; and incontinently he sent them to her Majesty and the Council. Seeing this, I did not fail to transport myself there; and hearing by the way that the Court was at Windsor, it made me address myself to M. de Marchaumont and Bacqueville, who took the matter in hand, in such wise that I had an express letter (lettre de dépêche) from them, in which it was said that the ship would be restored to me. I send you therefore the duplicate of it, which perhaps may be of service to M. Robellade (?) who has been put in charge of this affair by messieurs, as I hear from Geoffrey Prior, I do not think that this Robellade takes great account of it. I have remained here at great charge, having been responsible for the expenses of four men and three horses belonging to messieurs for the space of three months; and just now, I see and Geoffrey Prior sends word messieurs have gone away. As a Frenchman I can do no more than apply to you with my complaint; begging you to take pity on me, as I am writing to Mr. Prior and Mr. Robellade to beseech you on my behalf. A thousand unkindnesses are done to me here. |
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Geoffrey Prior and Robellade will show you this letter; since I did not wish to write more to you, for fear of troubling you.—From the prisons of Lostwithiel (L'hostidiel), 15 April, 1583. |
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Add. Endd.: from the French Amb'. 1 p. Fr. [France IX. 79.] |
