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| [A.D. 1578, end of January ?] |
517. News from Flanders. |
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Monsieur de Bossu has returned here from his visit to the camp, and says that it is in very good order, and that all the lords there, as Lalaing, Egmont and others are full of courage, and are expecting the enemy, who are said to be coming to succour
Namur, but who, it is believed, under colour of doing so, may play some game with the camp before Ruremonde, for the succour of which soldiers are constantly sent to fortify our camp. |
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It is said that even if Don John, with his camp, wished to act against ours, he would not be able to do anything by reason of the courage of our soldiers. |
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The Pope has sent a letter to the Queen, remonstrating with her for aiding these countries against their King, who also has written to the same effect. It seems that the King of Spain is seeking to make a league with the King of France, in order to borrow help from him against these countries, giving as security the title of the marriage to be made between Monsieur d'Alençon and his Majesty's daughter, the heiress of these Low Countries; the said Alençon to come and join his forces to those of Don John, and thus together invade these countries. |
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The affairs of Firmay are still as they were, and our soldiers within it, the enemy having abandoned the place. |
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As to the reception of this new governor [the Archduke Mathias], no one says anything at all. |
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French. 2 pp. [Holl. and Fl. V. 25a.] |
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(Cf. Davison's letter of Jan. 23, Cal. S.P. For., 1575–7, under date.) |
| A.D. 1578. April 9. |
518. Stephen, King of Poland. |
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Letters to all magistrates, prelates, palatines, captains, nobles, &c., &c., and all other his subjects, in consequence of complaints made to him on behalf of the English trading in his dominions. Signed, Stephanus Rex.—Warsaw, 9th of April, 1578. |
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Endorsed: “A placard patent from the King of Poland to his merchants to use the English merchants trading into his country with all friendship, &c.” Royal seal. Latin.½ p. [Poland I. 2.] |
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519. Copy of the same. Latin. 3½ pp. [Poland I. 2a.] |
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520. Another copy of the same. |
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Endorsed (by Sir Joseph Williamson): “Poland, 1568 (sic). That King's indulgence to the English merchants in Poland, &c. The original in the Paper Office. J.W.” Latin. 1 p. [Poland I. 3.] |
| May 26. |
521. Draft for the following letter from the Queen to the Princes of the Empire with slight differences and without the names of the Commissioners. |
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Add. Endd. Latin. 3 pp. [Germany, Empire, I. 1.] |
| May 26. |
522. The Queen to the Princes of the Empire, professing the Augsburg Confession, and others. |
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When last year we understood that a certain conference was appointed at Magdeburg, in which those who had come with you out of Papal darkness, and agreed to all the rest of the articles of the reformed religion, but in one small part dissented, should be condemned by public authority; we could not but take it very seriously, and both from our zeal for the religion (which
with you we profess) and from our singular love to your people, we sent by our envoy to admonish you how dangerous it might be to others, in the great peril of the Christian republics, to bring forward a council in this manner, and to pray you to postpone the deliberation to a more convenient time, to the end that all this business, which would excite such dissension of mind, might be settled by your moderation, for the propagation, rather than the distraction of the Church. |
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Our envoy, however, brought us a reply from the chief provinces of the Empire, saying that we were wrongly advised as to the zeal of the Princes avowing the Augsburg Confession, and that their efforts were directed to this end, namely to ensure that, by a closer union amongst themselves, by concord and unanimous counsel, so much the more easily they might with common strength oppose the common enemy. |
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And that this was the true state of the affair, we were then easily persuaded, and indeed still believe, when we call to mind with what care and solicitude you have always striven to promote the glory of the divine name. Yet truly, when we examine into this business a little more deeply, and weigh the deliberations of those theologians (who met together at the conference of Bergen near Magdeburg last May) as expressed in writing, we perceive that the end they aimed at was, by a crafty device, and by the aid of the votes of the greater number of provinces, to thrust, in abuse of your authority, a new body of doctrine into the others, which, although they give it the specious title of an agreement, will (if we have any foresight) stir up the flames of discord, so as to involve the Christian church in intestine wars, which the papal party, enemies of the reformed faith, have long striven to bring about. Moreover, experience has taught that the sacred supper of our Saviour and Lord (of which we revere the mere mention), which was instituted for the uniting and confirming of souls established in religion, has given rise to the gravest contentions, which have torn in pieces the Christian Church to an extraordinary degree. Whereby particularly we have feared (as our care is for the pure religion, your lordships and the people of Germany) that while you discuss concord in this time of discord, this your institution, by the iniquity of the times, the ambition of certain theologians, and the customary tricks of the pontificals, may rather excite strife and disastrous contentions, to the ruin of the commonwealth, than cement and confirm the desired friendship. |
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We therefore earnestly pray you that having consideration of our goodwill to the professors of the Augsburg confession, you will put off the execution of these resolutions to a more fitting time. And seeing that all this business, which has begotten civil and intestine strifes to the Christian Commonwealths, belongs not to the Germans alone, but also concerns both our kingdom and the reformed churches of various regions who, in Scotland, France, some of the provinces of Belgium, Poland, Bohemia, and elsewhere invoke Jesus Christ, redeemer of mankind, the only begotten one, with the like rites, we pray that certain delegates from these may be peaceably joined in a common council,
to consider of the common cause. What can be fairer than our demand? Both reason and law require that what touches all should be investigated by all. But if you do not consider that the business should be postponed, and have already met (as we understand is likely) at Schmalkalden, or have sent thither councillors and theologians, we beseech your highnesses and all the envoys who have gathered there to establish an agreement between the professors of the Augsburg Confession, to consider the dangers that are imminent and to take heed again and again, seeing that the pontificals are bending all their efforts to set you at variance, to preserve with zeal the tranquillity of the whole body; for we are assured that the counsels of your highnesses have been treacherously betrayed to the pontificals. Moreover, since we are fired with the same zeal to establish the safety of our religion as yourselves, we pray you to admit to your Council these our four envoys, Lawrence Humphrey and John Stile, doctors of theology, John Hammond, doctor of law, and Daniel Rogers, gentleman, our sworn minister, all most zealous for the Christian Commonwealth and the reformed religion (whom we have thought fit, with the advice of our councillors to send to your assembly at Schmalkalden) and to communicate to them your intentions more at large. They will declare to your highnesses, if you are present, or to your envoys and theologians, what zeal we have for the Christian commonwealth, and will show how and by what means the agreement, long desired, can be attained. We trust that the presence of these envoys, far from being an embarassment to your counsels, will be of the greatest profit. If you assent to our requests, you will signally confirm the bond between ourselves and your highnesses, and will increase our goodwill towards the safety and integrity of the Roman Empire.—Greenwich, 1st of June, 1578. |
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Add. Latin. 2½ pp. [Germany, Empire, I. 2.] |
| [Nov. 9.] |
523. Marguerite, Queen of Navarre, to Queen Elizabeth. |
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As her brother, the Duke of Anjou, is sending Monsieur Simier to her Majesty, on so happy an occasion, she cannot but send this letter with him, to assure her Majesty how great she would feel her brother's happiness to be, and how well content all would be who belong to him, if he should attain to the felicity which he so greatly desires. |
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Signed, Marguerite. |
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Add. French. 1 p. [France, II. 83b.] |
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(See letters of the King and Queen Mother, Cal. S.P. For., 1578, 1579, under above date. Also answer to this letter, Ibid. p. 447.) |
| [After 1578.] |
524. A brief statement of the intercourse betwixt the English and Spaniards some years before and after 1575. |
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1572. Upon request of the Spanish ambassador, the confederates of Flanders to depart from England, and their arms and ships, found in English ports, to be stayed. |
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1573. The negotiation between Flanders and England, concluded in 1568, to be renewed and continued for two years, and what has been taken in hand with the confederates to cease. |
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1575. Requesens vainly demands English ships against the Flemish confederates, but it is resolved that England is not to withdraw from the old Burgundian league, or to admit the ships of the confederates into her ports. |
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The embassy of Champagny from Requesens to Elizabeth, concerning the observing of the Burgundian league, which was promised. |
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576. [Sir] John Smith sent into Spain, to settle the affairs of Flanders, and the title of Defender of the faith, which the Spanish inquisitors would not allow to Elizabeth, but which Philip ordered to be granted. |
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Elizabeth supplied money to the States, but on condition that they should change neither religion or prince. |
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1577. John of Austria schemes for a marriage with Scotland, and thereby for the kingdom of England. |
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Treaty of Elizabeth with the States, and embassy to Spain, to inform them thereof. They dissemble their displeasure. |
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1578. Invasion of England and Ireland, plotted by Spain and the Pope, put an end to by the death of King Sebastian, and the mind of Spain turned to the hope of the Kingdom of Portugal. |
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Endd. in a later hand. Latin. 1 p. [Spain. I. 16b.] |
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(Each item has a reference to the page of some volume not named.) |
