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336. The Duke Casimir to Lord Burghley. |
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1575, Nov. 1. |
The bearer, Thomas Wilkes, being despatched hither by the Prince of Condé and the Sieur de Meru, his father and himself have thought that he would be more agreeable to the Queen as an envoy than one of their own adherents, he having been already employed by her Majesty in a similar capacity and being well acquainted with the matter wherewith he is charged; moreover the matter will be thereby better concealed so that no reproach can attach to her Majesty. Assures himself that his lordship, as well in regard of the affection
which he has always testified towards their just cause as of his own high rank and credit, will always continue to exhort and counsel her Majesty in all that concerns the preservation of her estate and of her eminence. |
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Prays him earnestly and affectionately so to use his influence that her Majesty may continue as she has begun, and as they in their behalf are doing with such expense, diligence, and trouble, as the said Wilkes will more particularly declare.—Heidelberg, 1 Nov. 1575. |
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French. 1 p.
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[Murdin, p. 291. In extenso.] |
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337. The Garrison at Berwick. |
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1575, Nov. 2. |
Warrant under the Privy Signet for the payment of the garrison at Berwick.—Windsor, 2 Nov. 1575. |
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1 p.
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338. The Queen to Lord Burghley and Sir Walter Mildmay. |
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1575, Nov. 7. |
Warrant under the Signet for passing lands, not of the ancient revenues of the Crown, nor of the Duchies of Lancaster or Cornwall, of the value of 21l. a year, to Christopher Hatton, Captain of the Queen's Guard, in exchange for his manor of Marston Bigott, co. Somerset.—Windsor Castle, 7 Nov. 1575. |
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Sign Manual. Countersigned :—“Windebank.” |
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Endorsed :—“7 Novb. 1575.” |
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Vellum. 1 m. |
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339. Lord North to the Bishop of Ely. |
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1575, Nov. 20. |
“Oure longe acquaintance & nere neighborhod enforceth me by these my letters to discharge thoffice of an honest frende and a good Christian; by thone to advertise yowe what perilles you presentlye stande in, and by thother tadvise yowe to doe that which I myselfe woulde if I were in your case; trustinge that your L. will not superficiallye reade this, but so substantiallye as yowe will both thanke me & also followe my councell, if yowe approve it for good. Yowe remember howe tenderlye & hartelye her Maiestye wrote this summer unto yowe for a lease of Somersham for her selfe, & she forgetteth not your aunswere. Being nowe in the Courte I understande her Maiestye did verye zelouslye recommende Mr Hatton to be the Keper of your house in Holborne, a man much favored of her Highnes, & much estemed of the best & honest sorte of Englande. Beside her Maiestye requeste was quallefied with so reasonable conditions, both for your ease & honor, as it is more then marvelous to knowe with what face yowe coulde denye her. Well! this laste denyall beinge added to her former demandes, hath moved her Highnes to so greate dislykinge as she purposeth presentlye to send for yowe, & to here what account yowe can render for this strange dealinge toward your gratiouse Soverayne. Moreover, she determineth to redresse the infinite injuryes which of longe tyme yowe have offered hir subjectes, for which purpose (to be playne with your Lordship) she hath given me order to harken to my neighboures grefes, which continuallye ringe in my eares agaynst yowe, & lykewise to prefer those complaintes before hir Maiestyes Prevy Councell, so that you may be called to aunswere, & the partyes satysfied. She hath geven order for your cominge upp which I suppose yowe have alredye receyved, & with all yowe shall have a taste to judge howe well she lyketh your lovinge usage. |
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Suffer me, my Lord, I praye yow, to put yowe in minde who it is that yowe denye; is it our dread soverayne ladye, oure most gratiouse & bountifull Mistress, who hath abled yowe even from the meanest estate that maye be unto the best Byshopricke in Englande, a thinge worth three thousande pounde by yere. It is she unto whome yowe have done no espetiall service as yet, nor anye waye shewed your selfe speciallye thankfull for hir unspekable goodnes to yowe. Ingratitude yowe knowe, my Lord, is noted emongst the common parsons for a monstrouse vice, & betwene the subjecte & soverayne a horrible monster. If then this be true that she hath rewarded yowe with one of the best thinges of hir realme, & yow on the other side denye her everye tryfle that she demaundeth, judge my Lord indifferentlye whether she can lyke this kindnes or noe, consideringe she taketh no rent from yowe. Beleve me this is an ill course, & thus much for advertisement. |
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Now to advise yowe. My Lord, I wisshe yowe from the bottome of my harte to shake of the yoke of your stobornes agaynst her Majesties desyres; to laye asyde your stifnecked determinations and humblye to reconcile (by yeldinge) your selfe unto hir known clemencye. She is oure God in earth; if ther be perfection in flesh and blud, undoughtedlye it is in hir Maiestye. For she is slowe to revenge and redye to forgive. And yet, my Lord, she is right Kinge Henrye, her father. For if anye strive with her, all the Princes of Europe cannot make her yelde. Agayne whoso humblye & lovinglye submitteth himselfe to hir desyre, she doth & will so gratiouslye receyve and recompense him, as everye that knoweth hir doth honor and intirelye love hir. Here me semes yowe will saye unto me that yowe are determined to leve your Bisshopricke in hir Maiestyes handes to dispose thereof at hir good pleasure, and I knowe that yowe have so reported emongst your frendes. Your wife hath also councelled yowe to be a Latimer in thes dayes, gloryinge as it were to stand agaynst your naturall Prince. Well! my Lord, let not your wives shallow experience carrye yowe to far, least she laye your honor and creditt agrounde, and haply make a shipwracke of the hole. Howbeit, God be thanked, your wife mistaketh the case, for Latimer lost his livinge for the sacrament, & for tharticles, & not for denyinge the King. It is, I confesse, but a smale matter to forgoe a Bisshopricke, beinge so well provided as yowe are, but it is a greate matter to forgoe or lose the Prince's favoure (& that deservedlye), and it is the greatest mattter of all to hasarde your credit. Yowe se that to Courte yowe must come. The Prince's good favoure and grace wilbe altered from yowe. Your frendes wilbe strange, it wilbe no ease for yowr age to travayle in winter. And I know well howe yowe are horsed and manned for that purpose. My Lord, it wilbe no plesure for yowe to have hir Majestye & the Councell knowe howe wretchedlye yowe live within & without your house, how extremly covetouse, howe greate a grazier, how marvelous a dayrye man, how ritche a farmer, howe grete an owner. It will not lyke yowe that the world knowe of your decayed howses, of the lead & brick that yow sell from them, of the leases that yowe pull violentlye frome manye, of the coppye houldes that yowe lawlesslye enter into, of the fre land which yow wrongfullye posese, of the toles & impostes which yowe rayse, of Goddes good minesters which yowe causeleslye displase. You suffer no man to live longer under yowe then yowe lyke him. And to be flatt, yowe norish the ill & discorage the good. But, my Lord, if my learned councell deceyve me not, I shall drawe yowe into the Premonire by 6 or 7 severall poyntes. All this which I have written I am to prove agaynst yowe, and shalbe most hartelye sorye to put it in execution. Wherfore if yowe love peace,
the preservation of your credit, & the continuance of her Maiestyes favoure, conforme your self & satisfie her requeste, &c., &c.—London, 20 November 1575. |
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Endorsed by Burghley : —“20 Nov. 1575. Lord North's lettre to the B. of Ely.” |
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4 pp.
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340. The Earl of Oxford to Lord Burghley. |
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1575, Nov.22. |
Apologizes for the brevity of his letter on the score of the messenger's haste, and begs his Lordship to make no stay in the sales of his land, but to let all things go forward according to his determination before he came away.—Padua, 27 Nov. |
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1 p.
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341. William Holstok to the Lord Admiral. |
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1575, Nov. 26. |
Has met with a ship of George Fennar's of Sussex, who is come from by west. She has brought two French prizes. They harboured in the west country and were “somewhat made lighter there.” Fennar's ship is a man of war, and manned all with Englishmen. He had 45 men when he went out. Perceives they have trodden their shoe too much awry. The ship and the two prizes shall be delivered into Portsmouth, and inventories taken of all things in them. Their intention, it seems, was not good at the beginning; their license was made in Wales. The Spaniards departed from Mead Hole with the wind at south-west on Thursday morning, and have had a good storm to pass them. The Castle of Comfort is still at St. Helens. Sent the Fly-boat into the Narrow Seas to tell the Flushingers of the coming Spaniards; her license is tolerable enough, that is, to apprehend pirates. Will stay the vessel if it comes into his hands again. Does not wish the purpose for which he sent her to be known. The two French prizes are of 70 and 60 tons burden; they are Normans, and all their men are sent home. “Extreme foul weather of late.”—From aboard the Dreadnought, under sail between Mead Hole and Portsmouth, 26 Nov. 1575. |
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1 p.
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342. The Duke of Alençon to the Queen. |
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[1575?], Nov. 28. |
Having understood from the Sieur de la Mothe Fenelon the favourable replies and demonstrations of friendship which it has pleased her Majesty to make in all the negotiations which have hitherto taken place with regard to himself, and not having it at present in his power to make such an acknowledgment as he owes to her Majesty, and as his heart would wish, has thought it meet to send the present bearer, the Sieur de la Porte his counsellor and chamberlain, as well to thank her Majesty most humbly on his behalf for the comfort and pleasure which he has received therefrom, as also to entreat the continuance of her goodwill until he shall have the opportunity of personally testifying his great desire to obey, and give her satisfaction in all things, and of being so happy as to participate in her good graces.—“Montreaubelle” [Montreuil], 28 November. |
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French. 1 p.
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343. The Duke of Alençon to the Queen. |
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[1575 ?], Nov. 28. |
Doubts not that she has already heard the terms of the treaty between him and the king his brother, as well from what
he has written to her on the subject as from other sources; so that there being nothing remaining for him to do, but to acquaint her with the result thereof, he has despatched forthwith the Sieur de la Porte, his Counsellor and Chamberlain in Ordinary, to advertise her of all that has taken place; and more especially to treat and negotiate concerning the important matters which affect what he most desires both for his happiness, and reputation; so as to establish his fortunes on a par with her Majesty's prosperity, for the preservation of which he would always risk his life as he has charged the said Sieur de la Porte to assure her Majesty.—Montreaubelle [Montreuil], 28 Nov. |
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French. 1 p.
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344. The Bishop of Norwich. |
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1575, Nov. |
Warrant under the Privy Signet for the delivery of certain stores of hay and corn to the newly appointed Bishop of Norwich.—Windsor, 28 Nov. 1575. |
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1 p.
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