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| 6 June. |
300. The King to Guzman De Silva.
We have recently received seven letters from you, 7th, 14th, 21st,
26th, 28th of April, and 5th and 7th May, and note from them the
state of affairs there up to last date.
I have been pleased to see the full detail with which you report
affairs to me, and the diligence you have displayed in keeping the
Queen in the good disposition she appears to feel towards us, and it
has also been a satisfaction for me to learn that she was gratified
with the reception given to her representatives in Flanders. With
regard to the negotiations they are carrying on with France and
the comings and goings of the secretary of the French Ambassador,
there is nothing more to say except to enjoin you to try to discover
what is afoot, as there must be some means of obtaining the
information.
It has pleased me to learn of the increase in the number of
Catholics in that country, and the advantage derived in this respect
from the English books sent from Louvain, and, although I am sure
you will miss no opportunity which offers of encouraging and
strengthening the said Catholics by all such means and measures as
will not scandalise the Queen or her friends, yet I again remind you
to give to this your particular care and to employ in it all the
prudence and adroitness the case requires.
I note from your letters the cause of the visit of Secretary
Lethington, and details of your interviews with him, with the
information he gave you respecting the state of the match of the
queen of Scotland with Lord Darnley son of Lady Margaret, and
also the intelligence you obtained from Lady Margaret herself, and
from the earl of Leicester to the effect that the marriage had taken
place. Your news on this head has been very pleasing to me, and,
on the presumption that the marriage of the Queen and Darnley
has really gone so far, the bridegroom and his parents being good
Catholics and our affectionate servitors ; and, considering the Queen's
good claims to the crown of England, to which Darnley also pretends,
we have arrived at the conclusion that the marriage is one that
is favourable to our interests and should be forwarded and supported
to the full extent of our power. We have thought well to assure
the queen of Scotland and Lord Darnley's party—which we believe
is a large one in the country—that this is our will and determination,
and that if they will govern themselves by our advice and
not be precipitate, but patiently await a favourable juncture, when
any attempt to upset their plans would be fruitless, I will then
assist and aid them in the aim they have in view. I have instructed
the duke of Alba to address himself to this effect to the Scotch
Ambassador resident in the court of France, but I think well to
advise you of it also in order that you may know my views and
keep them quite secret from the queen of England and her friends,
seeing the great danger which would result to the business itself
and all other of our affairs if it became known.
You may, however, convey to Lady Margaret Lennox the sympathy
and goodwill I bear towards her son, and the successful accomplishment
of the project, in order that they may be satisfied and may
know that they can depend upon me in matters concerning this
business, and so be able to entertain and encourage the Catholics
and their party in England. If Lethington or any other confidant
of the queen of Scotland addresses you on the subject in her name,
you may reply in conformity with the course indicated above, assuring
them positively of our help and favour if they will allow themselves
to be guided and controlled by our advice. We are thoroughly
versed in affairs there, and will in all cases give our opinion with
the sincerest desire to forward successfully the objects tending to
their welfare. They must, however, be very careful how they
proceed, as it is to be feared that as they have married without the
consent of that Queen, she will do all she can to upset their
pretentions and harm them in every way. One of the worst blows
she could strike at them would be to appoint another successor to
the crown in the coming Parliament, such for instance as Lady
Catharine Grey, who married the son of the duke of Somerset,
which would be done with the connivance of Cecil, who was a
retainer of the Duke, and some other heretics who desire this. Or
the succession might be declared in favour of the earl of Huntingdon,
who is married to a sister of Lord Robert, for which reason the
Queen might incline to this candidature and oppose that of Lady
Catharine and her husband ; the dukes of Somerset and Northumberland
(Robert's father) having been open enemies. This would be a
very disagreeable solution, as the earl of Huntingdon is a declared
heretic, and would have the support of the heretical party, especially
of Throgmorton, a close friend of Robert and an enemy to Cecil.
Some claim is put forward by Lord and Lady Lestrange, although I
am given to understand their party is much reduced in consequence
of the poor esteem in which they are held. Perhaps, however, the
Queen might exercise the power and liberty she possesses and
appoint some one of whom we have not thought here, and you
must direct all your energy, care, and thought to prevent the
appointment, either in the coming Parliament or in any other way,
of any successor other than the queen of Scotland and Lord Darnley.
You will keep in good intelligence with their party in England and
with the Catholics there, which is the same thing, and try by all
means to animate and encourage them to carry the business into
effect, and promising them what I have already said. All this,
however, must be done so dexterously and adroitly, that it shall not
become public or reach the ears of the Queen, or the evil results I
have pointed out will ensue. Finally, you will direct your earnest
endeavours by all means in your power, to the end that the Queen
shall not declare any successor at all if she will not appoint the
queen of Scotland and Lord Darnley, and no doubt this end may
easily be accomplished, as her own tendency has always been against
the appointment of a successor.
If it appears to you that there is a danger of the Queen appointing
another successor, the most prudent course will be for the queen of
Scotland not to press the Queen to appoint her, but leave the question
of declaration of a successor in suspense for the present, because
failing the Queen (Elizabeth) there is no doubt that people would
all flock to the queen of Scotland and Lord Darnley, and this must
be the object to which all energy must be directed. You will make
Lady Margaret understand this, and that not only shall I be glad
for her son to be king of Scotland and will help him thereto, but
also to be king of England if this marriage is carried through.
I note your remarks about the arrival there of an Ambassador of
the Emperor, my brother, with instructions to negotiate for the
marriage of the Queen with the Archduke Charles my cousin, and
although the Emperor has not written anything to me or asked my
aid in the matter, still on account of my affection for him and because
on a former occasion I intervened in his favour, I should be glad if
the negotiations were to succeed, as the result would be beneficial to
all of us. You will therefore do your best to bring the affair to a
happy conclusion if it is discussed, although I look upon it more in
the light of a diversion than anything else, seeing that neither the
Queen nor her people really desire it, and that the religious and
other differences are so great.
If this matter of the Archduke's is not opened or falls through,
it will be well for you on my behalf to tender your sympathy to
Lord Robert, as you say you have done,and promise him my support
and favour towards the accomplishment of his marriage with the
Queen. You will in fact do in this as you see advisable under the
circumstances, and in accordance with what Robert thinks will be
the best way to help him to this end, always leading and keeping
him in the good disposition towards me and my affairs which you
observe in him at present. You will please me by doing this and
will advise me minutely and in detail of all that passes in these
affairs.
I have received your statement of the various claimants to the
succession, etc., and thank you.
I am pleased to hear that Gaspar Zapata has submitted, and that
Moreno of Granada does not mix with heretics. I have ordered a
copy to be sent to the Grand Inquisitor, who will write to you on
the subject.—Madrid, 6th June 1565. |
| 8 June.
Simaneas,
B.M MS.
Add. 26,056a. |
301. Document headed, Summary of Letters from London.
That the Queen of England and her Council are much troubled
and perplexed for four principal reasons, viz. :
Firstly, by the marriage of the queen of Scots with the English
Lord Darnley, both of them being next heirs to the Crown of
England, and descended from Margaret, sister of King Henry VIII.,
and their respective claims are thus consolidated. The rivalry
between them, therefore, ceases, and the queen of England had
always looked for her security to the maintenance of this rivalry
by delaying the nomination of her successor. She has summoned
Darnley hither under threat of punishment for high treason, and in
consequence of his disobedience has thrown his mother, Lady
Margaret, into the Tower of London.
The second cause of anxiety is the dissensions in the country,
many people favouring Darnley in the belief that by his means
they may get rid of the Queen and her Government. For this
reason certain gentlemen of high rank who had retired from Court
some years ago look upon this marriage as the salvation of the
country by bringing about a union with Scotland. Religious
differences also add to their troubles, and the fear that the King
of France, who has supported this marriage, will help the queen
of Scots, who is his sister-in-law, and much attached to France.
The third reason for perplexity is the state of Flemish business.
Their tricks and dodges and their ill-usage of foreigners (Netherlanders
amongst others) in violation of the treaties have now been
thoroughly exposed, and the profit the Queen and her subjects
make by oppressing them has now become so great that it may
be said that half the revenue of the States comes to English
people. It is feared that if matters are not promptly mended
commerce will cease there altogether, and the Queen is threatened
with a rising of her own people on this account. The aforementioned
causes will aggravate this.
The fourth reason is the necessity for giving an answer to the
Emperor's Ambassador about the Archduke Charles. The Queen
well knows that this match is her sole means of keeping her throne
and obtaining the protection of the Catholic King and the Emperor,
which will enable her to suppress disaffection and settle the business
with Flanders, but her disinclination for matrimony and the difficulties
she now expects from Parliament (which formerly urged her
to marry, but have now cooled towards her marrying a foreigner,
and she fears may proclaim the queen of Scots and Darnley) will
decide the Queen and Council to seek to embroil matters in Scotland
by means of the Scotsman they call the duke of Chatelherault and
his son who cannot endure being passed over in favour of Darnley,
they being also claimants to the Scottish crown if the Queen should
die without issue. For this purpose the Queen is making use of a
factious and fickle Scotsman to stir up trouble. She is also soliciting
the French huguenots on the pretence of forming a league against
the Guises from whom the queen of Scots descends on the mother's
side, and they allege here that if the queen of Scots were to succeed
to this throne she would avenge the death of the duke of Guise by
extirpating all the sectaries.
If these plans succeed she (Elizabeth) may be able to avoid
marriage, but in the meanwhile she temporises.
On Ascension Day she summoned the King's Ambassador (Guzman
de Silva), in whose presence she played privately on a lute and a
spinet, which she does very well.—London, 8th June 1565. |
| 9 June. |
302. Guzman De Silva to the King.
After the matter of the Archduke's marriage had been approached,
as I informed your Majesty, and the Emperor had sent his
Ambassador, I am advised that the earl of Leicester has again become
more hopeful about his own marriage, and is moving in the matter.
It looks as if the Queen favoured it also, and the French Ambassador
has been pointing out to her the objections to the Archduke's match,
saying that he is very poor and other things of the same sort to lead
her away from the project. This has come to the ears of the Emperor,
as I understand from something the Ambassador told me, and he
(the French Ambassador) has now turned to Leicester again urging
him to press his suit warmly : They tell me also that Throgmorton
has become extremely friendly with him since he arrived from
Scotland, and if this be the case he certainly is not keeping his
word to the duke of Norfolk, given as soon as he came here. But
there is nothing certain here, and difficulties and bad consequences
always result from such action as this.
This Throgmorton also comes to see the Emperor's envoy, and I
have told the latter that he had better be careful of him as he is
a great friend of Robert's. I tell him other things of the same
sort, which he cannot fail to understand, and by showing him great
friendship and other ways I try to disabuse his mind of the suspicion
they have engendered, that your Majesty will not be pleased at the
success of his enterprise.
The Queen appears to be daily more annoyed at the queen of
Scotland's marriage, and it was determined yesterday to send Lady
Margaret to the Tower, where she is expected to be lodged to-night or
to-morrow.—London, 9th June 1565. |
| 16 June. |
303. The Same to the Same.
On Whitsunday the Emperor's Ambassador went to the palace
and attended service with the Queen, and dined with the members
of the Council. After dinner he went again to the Queen, and he
tells me she asked him, "Are you sure the Archduke will come?"
and that he replied that the Emperor would consent to his doing so,
and would not stand so much on his dignity or that of his brother
in his desire to please her, seeing the vow which she said she had
made. The Archduke's own great desire to see her would also help
in getting over this difficulty. Upon this she blushed, and said that
as regards the other conditions, if they were well pleased with one
another, they would soon be settled. He told her his reply would
shortly arrive from the Emperor, but he had no certainty as to the
exact time, because as one of the conditions they had given was, that
the Emperor's friendship with your Majesty should be understood
as extending to this country, in the event of the marriage she would
see that the Emperor could not resolve without first communicating
with your Majesty, which could not be done very quickly as the
distance was so great. She then said to him, "I pray you tell me
if you have heard or has anyone told you that the earl of Leicester
is not dealing favourably with these affairs or is opposing them
in any way." He replied that he believed he was dealing with
them very favourably for the Archduke, and had forwarded them
personally by writing to the Emperor ; and she had witnessed
how he had helped the matter forward in every way. She then said
to him, "They tell me that the public opinion is that this marriage
will certainly take place," to which he replied that he was not
surprised at that, since if the Queen did not marry in this country,
there was no one else but the Archduke whom she could choose consistently
with her dignity, as the ages of the other marriageable
princes were unsuitable. She then said, "I have never said hitherto
to anybody that I would not marry the earl of Leicester," whereupon
the envoy said she had told Preyner, who was formerly here on the
same business, that she would not. "But," she replied, "Lord
Robert was married then, and there was no possibility of treating
of such a thing at the time." He was not very well pleased with
his interview to all appearance, and I have not cared to tell him
what I wrote recently to your Majesty, which seems to confirm this
conversation. He has sent to say to me that when he hears that
your Majesty desires the match, he will take steps that shall bring it
about, but that he will remain silent until he receives such advice.
When I took the Commissioners sent by the duchess of Parma to
the Queen to ask her Majesty to give facilities for the commencement
of the negotiations they have in hand, she took me aside and said,
"Amongst other things I am told that people are under the impression
that you have spoken to me very warmly in favour of
the Archduke Charles. I have said nothing, but I perfectly well
remember what you said to me on the matter." "And I too have
not forgotten," I answered, "because I have in writing the very
words I used and will repeat them. I am informed that some
people think that not so much friendship exists between the
Emperor and the King, whereas I understand that the contrary
is the case, and that his Majesty looks upon the Emperor as a
dear brother and his brothers also." With regard to the question
of her marriage, if she decided to marry in her own kingdom I
could not forget the interests of my friend, but if she chose a foreign
Prince I reminded her that I had begged of her not to overlook the
house of Austria. "That is true," she said ; "but you said the house
of Spain." "Your Majesty misunderstood me," I said. "No," she
said ; "you used those very words." I assured her again that I had
not, and said I had no reason to indicate Spain, especially as she
knew that my King is the head of the family—the eldest son of eldest
sons—and in using the words I did, I did not particularise or
exclude any member of the house. "Is it so ?" she asked. "Yes,
your Majesty, and I again repeat the assurance." She said she
thanked me for my remark about my friend, and left your Majesty
to thank me for the rest. "But tell me," she continued, "if there is
so much friendship as you say, what can be the reason of the
Emperor's Ambassador being so shy of you and you of him ?" "I
am not shy of him," I said, "and if he is distrustful of me I do not
know why or what reason he can have for being so, but many reasons
for the contrary." "Perhaps," she said, "it is because you have not
instructions." "I certainly had no instructions for my remark
about my friend," I said. The fact of the Queen's having thanked
me in the way she did on this point makes it evident that Lord
Robert's affair is not off, and I have many reasons for being
doubtful about the Archduke. At this moment a person sends me
word that I may be sure that the match will not take place. My
informant is a man who does not speak without reason or knowledge,
and is deeply pained that they should treat the Archduke thus, as he
is a relative of your Majesty.
Sussex asked me to tell this Ambassador to approach Lord Robert
and remind him of the promises he had made to aid in the success
of the Archduke's suit. I told him this at once, and repeated to
him what had passed between the Queen and me, except that
which referred to my remark about Leicester, and particularly
emphasized what she had said about his (the Ambassador's) distrust
of me and my answer thereto. I treated it with him as a joke, and
said this idea could only have emanated from the French Ambassador,
to whom I had said, as I had to others, that I would not interfere
in what he (the German Ambassador) was arranging. I urged
him to do as Sussex recommended, and to remind Leicester of his
promise. He is now considering the business more attentively, but
until he receives a reply to his letters to the Emperor he can do
hardly anything else, and he is still very confident of the coming of
the Archduke.
I am not at all well pleased with this Lord Robert, as I see him
so much attached to France, but I always speak well of him to the
Queen to place him under obligation to us, and because I think that
if the Queen is to marry him it has probably been done some time
ago. It therefore appears to me that it will be best not to show any
displeasure, but to continue with fair words that pledge to nothing.
He is ruled by Throgmorton, who is for ever coming here to ask
questions of the Emperor's envoy, who tells them the Archduke is
coming, and they have devised some other scheme to stop the business.
—London, 16th June 1565. |
| 25 June. |
304. The Same to the Same.
The French Ambassador has had an interview with the Council,
and pressed upon them the marriage of his master with this Queen.
They replied resolutely that the King's age was so very young that there
was no possibility of discussing such a match. He replied to them
that since they would not agree to a thing so obviously to their
interests, and of so great an importance to the Queen and her
country, it was clear sign that she did not wish to marry a foreigner,
as there was no other equal to her. This being so, as he believed, he
begged of them to consider deeply with whom she married, and that
it should be a person who would endeavour to forward and maintain
the friendship with his King, which was of so much importance to
to them. If they did so his King would always aid them, but if
not he could not avoid showing his displeasure. The Council asked
him what person would give his master most satisfaction, to which
he replied, the earl of Leicester. Many people think all this comes
from the Queen herself, or at least that it is done with her concurrence.
As soon I learnt this I told the Emperor's Ambassador, who had,
however, received the same information from the earl of Sussex. He
is very much annoyed at this, and also at the other proceedings of
this Frenchman, which appear to him so many obstacles to his
business, and he is in a very bad humour with these people. They have
informed him that Secretary Cecil had spoken to Throgmorton and
told him that Leicester ought to look after his interesis and ensure
his position in case the marriage with the Archduke should take
place. This, he said, could be managed by the marriage of Leicester
with some relative of the Emperor, as he would thus become a
kinsman of the latter and of the Archduke, and so he could secure
himself in any case. He thought this might be arranged by a
marriage with a daughter of the Count de Blenes, who was now
fifteen. This had very favourably impressed Throgmorton, who
came to speak to the Emperor's man about it, and had a long talk
with him on the subject. He asked him whether the duke of Bavaria
had any marriageable daughters, to which the envoy replied that
he did not know, and he then enquired about the sisters of the
Emperor. The envoy told him that there was only one to marry
who had been sought in marriage by the Transilvain and negotiations
had been commenced, but he did not know in what condition the
business was now. It all looks wanting in seriousness, and as if these
people could not agree amongst themselves, unless indeed the whole
plan is to pass the time, as this Leicester is very poor to think of
marrying such personages as these except as I say the idea is to gain
time for the Queen to marry him herself with the greater satisfaction
after he had been engaged in such negotiations, and to give out that
he is a person of such quality as to have his proposals to royalty
discussed and entertained. I have on many occasions written to
your Majesty that the Queen has always brought up the subject of
the Earl to me, and has frankly told me that she would marry him
if he were a King's son.
The negotiations with France are now declared to have been with the
view of marrying the King to this Queen and the earl of Leicester to
the queen of Scotland. They raised this question of the match between
the king of France and the Queen simply to divert the negotiations
they thought were being carried on for a marriage (of the queen of
Scots) with the Archduke, and the affair all through has been looked
upon as a feint on both sides. Everything, however, has been upset
by the resolution of the queen of Scotland to take Darnley, and the
Frenchman has thereupon taken up Leicester, as I have said, in the
first place because he is friendly with him, and in the second because
they think they are showing countenance to a thing that is certain
to happen, and at the same time are flattering and pleasing the
Queen. This also has been my motive in showing the affection I have
to Leicester, and helping him in such a way that if ever his marriage
to the Queen should come off he will be bound to continue friendly,
although I have taken care not to pledge myself to anything in case
another course should be advisable.
With regard to the Archduke's affair I have proceeded in the way
that I have continued to write to your Majesty, showing the
Emperor's envoy all possible goodwill, and to the people who help
him the same, and he appears now to be quite satisfied and
communicates frankly with me. I have also contributed to this
confidence by giving him information of the way the French
Ambassador was trying to hinder his business, my information
being subsequently confirmed by his own intimates. But above all
he could not fail to understand that his principal hope of a
favourable conclusion of his busines depended upon your Majesty's
support which he well knows in what these people are aiming at.
I went to speak with the Queen about the punishment of the pirates
they have in prison, and the proceedings of the ships she has sent out
to stop the robberies, of which ships I am told she has a good many,
and took the opportunity of urging her to give a speedy and
favourable settlement to the Commissioners who are here from the
States of Flanders. The Emperor's envoy asked me to tell her that
I had seen what he had written to his master on the Archduke's
affair, in order that she might consider herself the more pledged and
bound. I promised him I would do so if a favourable opportunity
occurred, although my business did not appear an appropriate one
for introducing the subject, and if I did not see a suitable chance of
doing it I begged him not to think it was from any lack of desire
to help him. The Queen, however, brought up the subject by asking
me whether I had written to your Majesty an account of what was
being done in it, and I told her I had because the Emperor's man
had shown me what she had commanded him to write. She appeared
pleased at this, and to such an extent that, if it is not all acting, she
cannot be so estranged from this business as they tell me she is. If,
however, it really does take place I understand it will only be out
of fear of Scotland. The Queen said some words in her chamber
the other day which were evidently designed to appear favourable to
the Archduke's suit, and it is quite probable that both declarations
were made for the purpose of alarming the Scotch Queen whose
Ambassador has arrived here, and also to hold her own people more
firmly, as two men of importance in her household have already
gone over to the said Queen.
The Queen told me that the French Ambassador had informed her
that the interviews between our lady the Queen and her mother
would very shortly take place, and that within a day's journey of the
court there was an Ambassador from the Turk, which she thought an
extremely strange thing at the present juncture, considering that
they are in arms against Christianity. She told the (French)
Ambassador how wrong it appeared to her, and asked him what he
thought of it, to which question he did not reply, but only shrugged
his shoulders. Opinion is very strongly against it here. The
French Ambassador came to my house as he returned from the
palace, and told me the same as he had told the Queen, excepting that
he said nothing about the Turkish Ambassador until after he had
taken leave of me, when he turned back and said, "They write to me
also that an Ambassador from the Turk is near the court. So
I am told, I said, laughingly, as if I did not attach much
importance to it, and that Monsieur de la Garde is feasting
him, which is no new thing for you."
When I told this Queen of the large number of pirates who still
infested the sea, she said she believed many of them were Scotsmen
who spoke in English to avoid being known, and that the French
Ambassador had also complained to her, and she would take
measures of repression and would punish the offenders. I pressed
her very much for the punishment of Thomas Cobham, whom they
were trying to get off through the intrigues of his relatives. She
promised me that justice should be done, and that within a fortnight
Stukeley should be brought from Ireland. The words are fair, and.
I really believe she means well, but things are not attended to as they
ought to be, although something is being done in the matter of
private claims. With regard to the suppression of piracy I will
still continue to press for vigorous action, which will be necessary.
The night before the arrival of the queen of Scotland's Ambassador
the Queen sent Secretary Cecil and the Chamberlain to tell Lady
Margaret that she had delayed sending her to the Tower until the
coming of the Scotch Ambassador, but seeing that he did not arrive
she should not avoid any longer sending her thither, and told her to
be ready by the time the tide rose. Lady Margaret asked them to
tell the Queen from her that she did not know the cause of such an
injury being done her, and begged her to suspend the order at least
until the next day. They said they would convey the message, but
that she was to be prepared, as they had already told her. At the
hour appointed the Vice-Chamberlain, with six of the guard, went
and took her to the Tower in one of the Queen's barges with two or
three women, knowing very well that the Scotch Ambassador was to
arrive on the morrow. This imprisonment has not given general
satisfaction, as Lady Margaret is held in high esteem here, and is
very popular. The Protestants, knowing that she is a Catholic still,
are strongly attached to her. The affair has been so public and
her claims on us are so strong that I should have taken some
step in her favour but that I do not want to arouse the suspicion
of these people, and I have therefore not said a word.
Having written thus far, I received your Majesty's letter of the
7th, by which I learnt that all mine had arrived up to that of the
7th ultimo. Your Majesty's orders have arrived in very opportune
time, both those regarding Scotch matters, as the Ambassador is here,
and brought me a letter from his Queen, although he has not been
able to see me yet ; and those touching the Archduke, which I communicated
at once to the Emperor's Ambassador, to his great
pleasure. He writes to his master by this ordinary post advising
him of it, and I do the same to Chantonnay.
With regard to Lord Robert's affairs, your Majesty's directions,
which are in all respects the most suitable, shall be carried out with
the necessary circumspection in order not to offend the Catholics,
who are much disappointed and have but few real friends on
either side. I understand if the Queen marries him as things
are going now they will both have trouble. It is incredible how the
Scotch affair is disturbing them, and with ample reason, seeing the
strong party in that Queen's favour as well as the justice of her
cause. The Scotch Ambassador came to see me this afternoon, as he
had promised. He told me he had conversed with the Queen the day
before yesterday, and yesterday again, on the subject of the marriage
of his Queen with Lord Darnley, and that she took it in such a way
that she flew into a rage directly the subject was introduced. She
said she was greatly displeased at the match, because it had been
arranged without her consent, and for other reasons, and he asked
her that these reasons might be handed to him in writing, that he
might show them to his Queen. If she would not have this done he
begged that she would appoint some persons to represent her and
discuss the matter on the frontiers ; but she refused both requests.
He asked permission to visit Lady Margaret and hand her a letter
which he had from the Queen for her, and another from her
(Margaret's) husband, to which the Queen replied that she was
greatly astonished that the queen of Scotland should think she would
allow Lady Margaret to receive visits, seeing that she was imprisoned
for so grave a crime. When she was in prison before she was let
out by her (Elizabeth) on her solemn oath that she would not allow
her son marry without her (Elizabeth's) consent, and she had deceived
her. The letters, she said, might be handed to her, but she (the
Queen) must see them first. He asked permission to hand to her
Majesty a letter from the earl of Lennox, but she refused to receive it,
saying that she would not accept letters from a traitor, as she should
very soon proclaim him to be, and his son as well. On this the
Ambassador said to her that there was nothing more for him to do
but to depart. He is to have an audience at Greenwich to-morrow,
and will let me know what passes. He asked me whether I had
received a reply from your Majesty with respect to the matter that I
had discussed with Lethington, and I gave it to him in accordance
with your Majesty's commands. He appeared highly delighted with
it, and said that his Queen desired nothing so much as that your
Majesty should take her under your protection, and that she should
follow your Majesty's orders in all things without swerving a hair's
breadth from them. I urged him to endeavour to get his Queen to
manage her affairs prudently, and not to strike until a good
opportunity presented itself, and pointed out to him that the
declaration respecting the succession should not be pressed unless
they saw they were going to have their way. He approved of this.
There is news that about 12 days ago there were eight French
vessels at Portland with 1,200 men bound to Florida. Considering
the weather we have had they must be still off this coast. They think
a great deal of Florida here, and a full description of it is being
secretly prepared. I saw it yesterday, but it is not quite finished.
I am having it copied and will send it in my next.—London, 25th
June 1565. |
