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| [1581. Jan. 6.] |
757. Jehan Liberge. |
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Papers in relation to the case of Jehan Liberge, evidently those enclosed by Cobham in his letter of this date. See Foreign Calendar, 1581–1582, p. 9. |
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1. Petition of Jehan Liberge to the King. |
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Jehan Liberge, merchant, of Nantes, humbly shows that 18 months ago, he made three voyages to England and Ireland, to obtain restitution of a ship laden with wines and merchandise which was pillaged by certain English men. And albeit his Majesty wrote of it several times to that Queen, very favourably, and that M. de Mauvissière did all that he possibly could, and that the said Queen in her Council ordered that restitution should
be made to the suppliant by the depredators, wherever they should be found in her country of Ireland: Yet, notwithstanding all his diligence since that time, he has not been able to get any restitution, and has wasted therein the best part of his substance. |
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His Majesty's Council, after due deliberation, gave him permission to arrest and sell all ships and merchandises belonging to those of Ireland, until he had recouped himself for his losses [Sept. 30, 1580; see Cal. S.P. For., under that date], but now his Majesty has declared that fresh suit must be made to that Queen, which suppliant is unable to do, both because it is not her doing that he has not had restitution as she ordered, and because he lacks means to support any further expense. |
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And as upon smaller occasions, the said Queen has allowed the goods of his Majesty's subjects to be seized, and that the ordinance in no way touches the friendship between the two kingdoms, seeing that she herself had ordered that where the pillagers had not goods to satisfy petitioner, the towns of Ireland should be responsible, he humbly prays his Majesty to give order that the judgment of his Council may be carried out, and to grant him letters patent for the purpose. Fr. 1 p.
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2. Request of Jehan Liberge to the French King's Council. |
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Humbly sets forth that upon his request formerly presented, showing the pillage made on his ship by certain inhabitants of Ireland, for which he had received no satisfaction, by ordinance of the last day of September last, they gave him permission to stay all ships and merchandise belonging to those of the said country, and sell them, until he was entirely recompensed, as appears by the extract of the resultat hereto attached; upon reading which, his Majesty has ordered that the Ambassador of England who is here, shall be spoken to very emphatically on the subject:—He, therefore, humbly prays them to send someone to the said ambassador with the ordinance, and upon his reply, to provide for their suppliant as they may find reasonable. Copy. Endd. Fr. ½ p.
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2. Answer of the English ambassador to Liberge's complaint. |
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The Council of Ireland, upon Jehan Liberge's complaint, made enquiries for the pillagers in order to do justice to the said Liberge, and having apprehended the chief pillager, named Nicholas Maurice (otherwise called Moscovia), had him put to death; but the others, Patrick Welch, mayor of Waterford and the justices of the province have not been able to apprehend, in spite of all their diligence, the said depredators having fled. |
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Moreover, the said mayor and justices have found that the said ship was pillaged at Duncannon, a place outside the jurisdiction of their city. Besides which the Council of Ireland have written to the Council of England that on Liberge being required to prove his allegations, he could not prove that any of the citizens of Waterford had any way aided the depredators, nor that these had come into the city afterwards (except the said Mauricé,
who landed within its jurisdiction in order to offer for sale the wines he had taken) nor that any part of the wines had been sold within its liberties, to any of its inhabitants. |
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But notwithstanding this, the Council of Ireland and justices of the country continue to do their utmost in all parts of Ireland, and the Queen has given orders that the said ship shall be taken in any part of England where she may be found, for the satisfaction of the said Liberge, and the rather that his case has been recommended by the most Christian King to the Queen, who will take as much care therein as if Liberge were a native Englishman. |
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Endd.: “Copy of that which I exhibited to the King for answer to Jehan Liberge's complaint.” Fr. ¾ p. [France V, 3a.] |
1581.
April 20—May 18. |
758. Notes by Burghley, headed “Occurrents from France,” being summaries of the contents of several of Cobham's letters, calendared in the volume for 1581, 1582. 4 pp. [Newsletters IX, 5.] |
| [1581, Aug. ?] |
759. The King of Navarre. |
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Walsingham is asked to present the following points to the Queen:— |
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1. In case the King of Navarre should attempt some enterprise in Spain, would she give him aid, and what? |
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The King would willingly, in spite of the necessities which the civil war has brought upon his affairs, furnish half the cost for defence of the places which he means to surprise, and also because there are some maritime places which he desires to aid with ships. [Margin.—This is in case the league is formed, or that Monsieur's enterprise takes place.] |
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2. Her Majesty has long had in hand rings and other jewels of the said King, to the value of 40,000 angelots, lent to the late Queen, his mother. She would greatly oblige him if she would restore them, on condition of being speedily re-imbursed, as to all appearance she could be, by the raising of the 200,000l. on the churches, authorised by the King; dedicated expressly to this matter, and now being put in hand. |
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She might the better consent to this, because he does not desire to withdraw them for any vain parade, but in order to leave them in Germany in sure hands, to be employed in defence of all the churches, and particularly those of France, whenever needed. |
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In testimony of this, the King would be content that the Queen should herself put them into certain hands in Germany, with proviso that they shall not be drawn out, save in case of need, when they should be at once put into the hands of the King. And for assurance of re-imbursement, the King offers to pledge his faith and his estate to her Majesty that peace shall not be made without the money being first repaid. |
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3. The King of Navarre, having forestalled the desire of the King [of France] by his rendition of the places in Guienne, Languedoc and Dauphiny, thought to have shown an example to the Catholies to keep the peace and to give him back his houses. But, on the contrary, instead of surrendering them, in accordance
with the Edict, they have surprised the town of Perigueux, one of those granted to him by the peace for six years, which makes him divert his thoughts, hitherto only fixed on a peace, to the fear of, and preparation of means against a war; not to begin one, for he exhorts every man to forbear in hopes of justice from the King, but to lend a helping hand if the oppression continues. |
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Thus the said King desires to have money in Germany, and besides the value of the said rings which he hopes for from the kindness of her Majesty, he expects to place there a good sum drawn from his own estate. But as such a burden is too heavy for himself alone, he has recourse to her Majesty, who in her wisdom knows the importance thereof, and hopes she will put some notable sum in some town in Germany that it may be employed in the service of the said King against the malice of his enemies. And, in order not to fall into past errors, he only intends that the Queen's money shall be disbursed when she is assured by the moneys put there on the part of the King. He prays her to be pleased to have regard of her greatness and her wealth, and of the calamities which the King and his adherents have long suffered, besides the losses, expences and toils which, in time of war, they have to sustain. |
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On these three points, Walsingham is prayed to communicate with her Majesty, and to obtain a definite reply, in order that the King may be better able to decide when occasion presents itself. Also to send the reply express by some well affected gentleman. It will redouble the King's zeal to employ himself in defence of the Religion and in the service of her Majesty when he see himself, (in a quarrel which touches all those of the like profession), assisted and countenanced in good earnest by such a princess. |
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Fr. 1¼ pp. [France, VI, 26a.] [This is apparently the memorandum upon “the three points,” which du Plessis mentions having given to Walsingham. See his letters of Sept. 9 (Cal. for 1581, 1582, p. 314.).] |
