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121. “A Summary of the communication from the Ambassador of France to the Queen's Majesty, the 7th March 1573.” |
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1572/3, Mar. 7. |
That by the two last despatches which he had received from France the King commanded him to assure her Majesty that he would most faithfully continue in the league and confederation which he had sworn to her, and would strictly uphold it without departing therefrom for any reason in the world; and that he prayed her to put aside on her part any offence and mistrust which she might have conceived of him, in order that she might in like manner give him her friendship as perfectly and entirely as she had sworn and promised. |
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That the King and the Queen his mother begged her to be good enough now to enlighten them as to her resolution with respect to the proposal of Monseigneur the Duke, their brother and son, in order that after this occasion they might impose upon themselves a perpetual silence, so as never more to give her Majesty the weariness, nor to themselves the shame of speaking further to her on the subject. That they had her
Majesty's own word that, for the welfare of her subjects, she had constrained herself to take the resolution of marrying; and it had been declared to them, and vouched in writing, that she was content that all the Articles which were approved of in the first proposal of Monseigneur the King's brother should remain agreed upon in that which they now made to her on behalf of Monseigneur le Duc (D'Alençon); saving the one point on which the other proposal had been broken off, vizt, as to the more or less free exercise of religion. In that point they desired that she should judge of Monseigneur le Duc as of a Catholic prince who had as much at heart all that touched his God, his religion, his conscience, and his honour, as any prince in the whole world; and if it were otherwise they knew well that she was so virtuous that she would not accept him on any account, but although well advised how desirable a prince he is, would hold him ambitious and worthy only to be rejected. Nevertheless they prayed her to accord him so much the more of the said exercise as she well knew that he could not be thus with regard to God and conscience and honour, if he had none. And to speak more plainly, on the Duke's arrival in this country, if her Majesty should wish so to constrain his conscience as only to permit to him and his servants (not being subjects of this Crown) the exercise of their religion in private, in some place of the quarter in which he should be lodged, and if it were demanded that it should be exercised only “a huys clos,” with one of her “huissiers” at the door, he would not refuse it. |
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That the said Ambassador, on behalf of the King, gave her Majesty great thanks for the order which she had taken against the pirates, and for the good service of my Lord of Lincoln, her High Admiral, in capturing them; and besought her to cause all the ships, vessels and goods taken from them which belonged to French subjects to be put in some secure place under the hands of Justice, in order that they might be restored to the proprietors, on their paying “pro ratâ” the claims of the said Lord Admiral; and to cause the persons of the said pirates to be dealt with according to the requirements of justice. |
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That the King's good pleasure was, not to permit to depart from his ports and harbours, the Earl of Montgomery or others with any armament, without taking assurance that they would not act against his Majesty nor disturb his kingdam, nor injure his subjects, nor attempt anything either at La Rochelle or elsewhere, against the good league and confederation which at present exists between him and this kingdom. |
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That inasmuch as it was reported that the Sieur de Verac, whom the King was sending into Scotland had, owing to stress of weather, landed in this kingdom, her Majesty would be pleased to cause him to be treated as his Majesty's messenger, and his letters and packets to be respected; and would also cause him to be furnished with a passport for the continuation of his voyage, in like manner as the King gives free passage through his realm to the subjects of her Majesty. |
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That it was certain that the Queen of Scotland had declared to the said Ambassador that she had written to her Majesty asking permission to send one of her people to France, or for someone to come from France to her to put certain of her affairs in order, and that she would like one Du Vergne, an advocate of Tours, who manages the affairs of her jointures, or else an agent of her Treasurer. And asking also that there might be sent to her from France, about eighteen hundred or two thousand pounds sterling, for the payment of her servants, and in order that she might have the wherewithal for certain alms and
small purchases. And also that she might be permitted to send for two or three femmes de chambre to watch her at night, and serve her in her illness. |
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Endorsed by Burghley :—“7 March 1572. A Memoryall of ye Fr. Ambassador for Monsr Due d'Alanson.” |
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French. 1½ pp.
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