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The Catholic League. |
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[1590, Nov. 3.] |
The causes that moveth the Catholic League of France to couple and join with the King of Spain's Majesty be such as followeth; |
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The Duke of Maine (great Constable of France, general deputy for keeping the crown of France) having in a general Parliament purposed and considered the difficulties that were in hand in recovering such pro vinces, estates, and cities that separated themselves from the crown, or were by force usurped by the tyrant Henry Bourbon, heretic, excommunicated and re-excommunicated for apostate from the Catholic church, with many other heretics his consorts and assistants, only for want of money, victuals, munitions, and for want of a strong force of horsemen that might stand as an army in the field to resist and combat such succours and help as are daily sent out of England, and from other heretic princes, for the destruction and beating down this Catholic kingdom, by alluring and enticement of Henry Bourbon of whose will ail the said enemies depend : And hoping to finish of one time all the calamities and travails that hath weakened and oppressed this our metropole city of Paris, with all other cities, towns and provinces belonging to the Catholic league, and being desirous to join all the provinces, cities and members of the kingdom to overcome the tyrant, to banish the heretics and to recover our most Christian Prince, most pure lord, most loving lord, the lord Cardinal of Bourbon our King, and to make of one time restitution of the peace able crown of Fiance to the said lord Cardinal our true and just King; but finding our own private force and power not altogether sufficient for to bring to pass such great enterprises : “We thought good (being persuaded thereunto principally by the Duke of Maine our father and defender) to apply and crave help of the most Catholic King Philip of Spain and well wilier of this crown of France and our good success, as appeareth by his help and succour sent to Charles IX., and to honour Valois when they shewed themselves enemy to the heretics. And we being desirous to conserve the Catholic religion, we received also at his Majesty's most liberal and most royal hands more help and succour than we called for. And so considering all the premisses, in this general Parliament with the common accord and consent of the deputies of all the provinces, cities and towns that be under the jurisdiction of the Catholic League, assisting to all the premisses the most excellent the ambassador of the Catholic Majesty of the King of Spain, we concluded and agreed upon all such conditions and chapters as here followeth; agreeing and accepting them the said Catholic Majesty's ambassador,
who hath sent them to the Court of Spain, whereby we doubt not but there shall be perpetual concord and love betwixt the Catholic League and the said King of Spain, for to conserve this crown, overcome the tyrant and destroy the heretics and common enemies, and to punish such offences as we have suffered and received contrary to reason. So that we think it will not seem strange to any person or persons that we applied unto an outlawed or strange king, seeing we be forced of necessity, and his Majesty's Catholic zeal do assure us, and that we be not the first that hath done the same, being well known that the tyrant that died late, and this other that is alive now presently, have divers times received help and succour from capital enemies to the kingdom of France and the Catholic religion. But we are rather to be commended that we sought the means to save us, our persons, lands and estates from perpetual destruction and the loss of our Catholic kingdom. |
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1. First the Catholic King of Spain will enter into Picardy afore the last of April 6000 soldiers, footmen, all ancient soldiers of the camp of Flanders, among which there will be 2000 Spaniards and 1500 soldiers of the Lower Countries, which will be Italians, Burgoines, and Almaines; his Majesty will send with those to the kingdom of Lyons 5000 soldiers Burgoines, and 1000 horsemen, and with them 5 great cannons to beat down forts, and 20 cannons for the field. |
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2. Item his Majesty will lend to the Catholic League 50,000 ducats presently, and besides this sum he will lend also every month during the war 200,000 ducats, for the payment of which the Catholic League do bind themselves that it shall be paid in three years, in each year the third part. And for more accomplishing the. same they give presently unto his Catholic Majesty the city of Cambray, the city of Abvile, with other dominions belonging to the Catholic League in the Duchy of Burgoine. |
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3. Item his Majesty in the same month will enter to the city of Narbonne 2000 ancient Spanish soldiers and 5000 horsemen. |
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4. Item his Majesty will send to Nantes 10 great ships laden with victuals, another with munitions, and in another fleet 6000 soldiers and 500 horsemen. |
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5. Item his Majesty promised to have in field within France afore the end of the said month at least 40,000 soldiers and 10,000 horsemen, with 50 cannons to beat cities and other 50 for the field, upon condition that the Catholic League shall make no peace, nor take condition from Henry Bourbon, except it be within the Court of Spain or Savoy. |
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6. Item the said Catholic League did bind themselves that they shall give straight commandment to all such keepers and governors as they have in the port towns and harbours throughout all France, and all other places to the said League belonging, that no shipping nor traffic out of England, Holland or Syland [Zeeland], nor any other the King of Spain's enemies shall be received. And contrariwise the said League is bound to receive and admit in all the ports that they have, and hence forth they shall get, the shipping, armies, and fleets of Spain and all such places as belongeth to the dominion of Spain. |
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7. Item if the King of Spain be disposed to make war with England or Scotland, that then the Catholic League during the wars of France shall not give any other help but to receive his Majesty's armies and shipping to their ports and harbours with free coming and going. But if the wars of France be finished in the meantime, that then the Catholic League must upon their own cost and charges help the King of Spain with 15,000 soldiers, footmen, 3000 horsemen and 6000 workmen; and that all the deputies and governors of the provinces and cities must be sworn to be fulfilling of all the premisses, and that all the general
Parliaments shall swear the same, and cause their King (as soon as he is at liberty) with all his successors, to swear the same without discrepancy. |
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8. Item that the cities of Cambray and Abvile shall be delivered to his Majesty as soon as the Catholic League shall receive the first 50,000 ducats, upon pain that the governors or keepers that will gainsay the delivery shall be punished according [to] the pleasure of the Catholic League. |
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9. Item when there be any mention in writing of the King of Spain he shall be called Protector and Defender of the kingdom of France. |
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10. Item if his Majesty will get or conquer any dominions, towns or cities in the lands of Henry Bourbon, during the wars with the said Henry, that all such shall be for his Catholic Majesty, and that the crown of France shall not demand nor pretend any title or right to them. |
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11. Item that the League of France shall not make wars with any, nor receive help nor succour, neither in money, victuals, nor soldiers, from any, afore they make his Catholic Majesty privy to the same, except it be from the Pope his holiness or from the Duke of Savoy, &c. |
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These articles were proclaimed and published in the city of Paris in a public and general Parliament the 11th day of January, 1590. |
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Underwritten :—“This is a true copy of the original brought from Spain by me, Hary Dowds. It was translated out of Spanish into English by John Hurlstone, D.D., and by him delivered unto me, which said John Hurlstone came from Madrille to Bilboe where I was, and I received the original at his hands the 21 of October according to their computation, from whence I departed on Sunday was seven night and arrived at Waterford on Saturday the last of October. By me Hary Dowds.” |
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Endorsed :—“3 November, 1590.” |
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3¼ pp.
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Lord Burghley to Archibald Douglas. |
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1590, Nov. 10. |
For answer to your letter to my servant Maynard, although I am not able to make answer with mine own hand, yet, for the two matters contained therein, I have thought good to let you understand my opinion. And for the first, touching her Majesty's liking or disliking of Colonel Steward's late negotiation with the Princes of Germany, her Majesty by the King of Scots' direction hath received understanding from the said Colonel of his proceeding, but it appeareth that although they have a liking of the cause yet they ail rely upon the resolution of the Duke of Saxe and, as it seemeth, will follow such course as he will take; which is remitted to a Diet or meeting of the Princes. And therefore the best service that Vanderwans can do is, to procure the Queen of Denmark to hasten the said resolution. I have procured Vanderwans her Majesty's safe-conduct, with letters from Her Majesty to the Queen of Denmark. For the other matter, of the depredations of Scottishmen, that a note might be collected thereof and delivered to Vanderwans, you shall do well to delay and excuse the same, that you cannot get any notes thereof, neither do I think that the Judge of the Admiralty or the officers of that Court will deliver any such notes without her Majesty's pleasure known therein.—From my house in the Strand, 10 November, 1590. |
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Noted in margin by Burghley : “I write not this in favour of piracies, for I hate all pirates mortally.” |
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Signed. Seal. 1 p.
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[The Master and Fellows of J Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, to the Earl of Essex. |
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1590, Nov. 12. |
In reply to his request for the grant of a lease of a house in Philip Lane in London to his aunt, the Lady Laighton. Ex plain the circumstances under which they have been obliged to comply with the Lord Chancellor's request for the same for the son of Mrs. Trapp, Lady Killigrew's daughter, being by law heir to the house and lands bequeathed to the college if their benefactor Mistress Franck land had not otherwise disposed of them.—Gonville and Caius College in Cambridge. 12 November, 1590. |
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Signed :—So. Church; Stephen Perse; Tho. Reve; Alexander Ro berts; Tho. Grimeston; George Estey; John Fletcher; Edward Wrighte; Richard Stockdall; Chr. Grymeston; William Rant. |
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1 p.
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John Greenwood and Henry Barrow to Lord Burghley. |
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[1590,] Nov. 13. |
Have in their miserable imprisonment drawn an imperfect discourse of such weighty causes as they desired to make known to her Majesty or some of her Council, which they now present to his lordship, and willingly put this weighty cause and their own woeful lives in his hand to be preserved to some equal trial from their enemies' rage, like to be increased hereupon in that it so nearly toucheth their worldly prosperity. Howsoever these high causes of God, which have not been looked into since the first defection from the sincere practice of the Gospel in the primitive church, may seem strange at first view, yet, being examined by the true pattern of Christ's testament, he will see how far the present state is swerved from the inviolable order prescribed, specially as regards the office, entrance and administration of this ministry”, which some of their own writers have confessed and none can deny to be derived by succession from the Pope; who though he were expelled with many of his enormities by her Majesty's progenitor, yet remained these offices, laws, courts, worship, &c., unsuppressed, Purpose to make plain in their treatise that when the Pope was expelled his ministry and orders, “which came out of the smoke of the bottomless pit,” were still set up instead of Christ's ministry; which must by the Prince be abolished that God's wrath be not kindled against the whole land. All countries about have suppressed the Bishops and their Courts, with all that rabble, and many abominations which flow from those fountains. The learned of the clergy of this land also have written for the utter abolishing of these offices; so that it is of all confessed the prince ought to suppress all offices that cannot be approved by the word of God. Appeal to his lordship to effect this. Have reserved the other part of their treatise, how this should be effected, what the true ministry of Christ is and how to be erected, till they know his pleasure. Should anything be objected to what they have written, pray the reasons may be set down and be discussed either by public conference or in private. If he is willing to hear any of the doctrines discussed by the Scriptures, he may procure some of the learned whom he can best trust, and call them to trial in his own audience, “without making them acquainted with the end of the question lest they deal partially and so seek to trouble and not to edify, as their custom is.” Owing to their grievous injuries by three years' imprisonment, pray they may be placed at some
honest man's house, they putting in sufficient bond to appear.—From the Fleet, the 13th of this 9th month. |
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Endorsed :—“1590.” |
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1¼ pp.
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Exchequer Accounts. |
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1590, Nov. 14. |
An estimate of such sums of money as are likely to be paid forth of the Receipt of her Majesty's Exchequer, for ordinary and known causes, from the date hereof unto the last day of March following, 1590[/1] :— |
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First, to Sir John Hawkins, knight, Treasurer of the Admiralty, upon his ordinary for six months, to determine the said last day of March, 1591, for the ordinary charges of her Majesty's navy in harbour, after 747l. 5s. 5d. the month, 4483l. 12s. 6d.
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Other particulars. Total expenditure, 86,635l. 55. 4½ d.
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2½ pp.
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R. Naunton to Mr. Reynolds, Secretary to the Earl of Essex. |
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1590, Nov. 8–16. |
My last were from Florence, addressed in company of a little chest of books and papers directed to you by the conveyance of Mr. Browne, a factor for Mr. Hicks in those parts. I was most glad, in respect of the supply of his lordship's service, to see Mr. Coffe entered into France before myself could get out of it; as again, to have found Mr. Hawkins settled here before the other was gone or myself come. The small remnant of my third year I may now the more securely “truand” it out in studying words and verbalities of this language.—Paris, chez Madame de Monceaulx aux faubourgs St. Ger main, rue de petit Lyon, Nov. 8 stilo veteri—against I find a messenger. |
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P.S. I crave (as you may see in those other to my lord) a little direction how far I may engage myself now with . . . . Many changes are fallen out since my departure hence, which makes mine ignorance and emptiness so universal as I shall doubt of all things till I may receive a kind long letter of modern instructions from you. The bearer, Mr. Allen, is to return within 4 days of his delivery hereof unto you. He hath promised to call for your answer, but if he miss of you your letters shall not miss of him if you send them to Mons. Gascars, at the sign of the Ragged Cross in the Blackfriars. Your equal consideration how hungry he must needs be that hath been kept fasting these eight months will excuse this importunity. If you let slip so convenient a bearer I know not when to hope for a line from you again, the ports being so beset (as I hear say) that no letters can pass by an ordinary messenger unperused. By this man I dare send you this English news, that here came a late letter from my lady Glemham with news that my lord her father was in great hope of the Treasurership, and that the Earl of Essex did exercise the place of Master of the Wards till further order should be taken. I shall wish myself now every day in Cam bridge, if I shall hear that Chancellorship to be still undisposed of. We expect here daily news of a new Ambassador from you, and many new great officers and Councillors to be made among you. Vale et responde. Nov. 16. |
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Seal. 1 p.
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John Greenwood and Henry Barrow to Lord Burghley. |
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[1590], Nov. 18. |
Having received his lordship's answer in dislike of their writings and causes, with his refusal to have anything to do
with them, it brought them no small dismay thus to have offended him and deprived themselves of his lawful help, whereby they are exposed to their adversaries who will soon shorten their lives. But their chiefest grief is to see this most blessed cause rejected and cast away without further inquiry. Most humbly crave pardon for anything wherein they have offended him, and submit their writings and opinions to trial by he word of God. Pray, “before our weak bodies return to dust (which through the inhuman usage we have endured are not likely long to continue in this life),” to be allowed peaceable conference in loving and sober manner, where the weighty matters in controversy may by the word of God be discussed and decided. If not, and they may not live in peace under bail, pray they may depart the land to some foreign church, &c.—The 18th of this 9th month. |
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1 p.
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Tho. Bodley to Archibald Douglas. |
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1590, Nov. 19. |
I trust Mr. Skeine hath told you the reason why I writ not by him and hath also imparted the success of his suit, wherein I did my endeavour to make a good end. But whether it be sufficient to content Mr. Stuart that the States have promised I leave unto himself and his friends, to consider. However, they have made a better offer than I looked for. I shall request you very heartily to salute Mr. Stuart from me, and to assure him of anything wherein I am able to do him pleasure.—From the Hague, Nov. 19, '90. |
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Holograph. 1 p.
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Scotch Privateers. |
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1590, Nov. 20. |
Warrant, under the Sign Manual, addressed to Lord Burghley, authorising the supply of certain ordnance mentioned from England for ships fitted out by Scottishmen, merchants of Edinburgh, by authority of the King of Scotland, against the French King's rebels and their aiders.—Somerset House, 20 November, 1590. |
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Signed. 1 p.
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John Cobham, groom of the privy bakehouse. |
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1590, Nov. 20. |
Petition to the Queen, For a lease in reversion of 20l., for his services. |
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Endorsed :—“7 Novr. 1590.” |
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Note by W. Aubrey that the Queen grants the petition. |
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Enclosure. Lord Burghley to the Auditors of the Exchequer there upon.—20 November, 1590. |
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2 pp.
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Loans from the Subject. |
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1590, November 21. |
Warrant to the Lord Treasurer for the issue of letters under the privy seal, of the form and tenour underwritten, for the assurance to the Queen's subjects of the repayment of such sums of money as it shall be necessary to obtain from them on loan to meet the charges of the defence of the realm in the current year, against the preparations of the King of Spain.—Somerset House, 21 November, 1590. |
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The forms of the required Privy Seals follow. |
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Sign manual. |
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On parchment. With signet. 2 pp.
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John, Bishop of Ross to Archibald Douglas. |
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1590, nov. 22/dec. 2. |
Relative to his efforts to effect an interchange of prisoners, John Welles for John Leslie, which the Governor and Council would not agree to, “because he is a stranger to them, as they think me also notwithstanding my long residence among them and continual service that I have done.” Searching for some other prisoner of calling and honor to be interchanged for John Leslie, I have found a gentleman called Mr. Fosbrooke, eldest son to Mr. Fosbrooke of Northamptonshire of his second and present wife, who is kept here prisoner, taken in the wars by a Captain de la Lune who has him in his hands in this town, and not without great danger still of his life, because the Captain affirms that he slew his brother in his taking, who was his lieutenant and has left behind him many children fatherless, and therefore boasts and swears oft that unless he get ransom for him shortly to support these children, he will take him with him again into the country and there be despatched in revenge of his brother's death. I have travailed with the Captain to stay yet still the prisoner in the town, upon the promise that his ransom shall be paid at the return of this messenger who is sent express to his friends in England, John Leslie being exchanged for him. I will not desist to travail at my power for the liberty of John Welles who will be delivered for Galloways, a grey friar cordelier, born in this town and now prisoner in Dieppe.—Rouen, 2 December, 1590. |
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Holograph. 2½ pp.
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Gomaer von Ostyerwick, one of the Queen's musicians. |
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1590, Nov. |
Petition to the Queen. Prays that he may have the Queen's grant of a lease in reversion of 20l. without surrendering his patent of 20l., in view of the charge of the education of his son Alfonsus at the Queen's command.—Endorsed :—“November, 1590.” |
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Note by Sir T. Heneage that the Queen grants the petition. |
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½ p.
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Humfrey Staverton to the Queen. |
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1590, Nov. |
Refers to his previous suits, through the Earl of Leicester, for grant of the attainted lands of Chidiake Techborne. Prays for lease in reversion of the rectory of Whitchurch, Rucks—Endoised :—“No. 1590.” |
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Note by J. Herbert that the Queen grants the petition. |
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1 p.
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1590, Nov. |
For a lease in reversion fur his service as yeoman of the chamber.—Endorsed :—“No. 1590.” |
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Note by J. Herbert that the Queen grants the petition. |
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1 p.
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