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| June 5. |
2236. Lord Windsor to Cecil. |
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Last Monday were eighteen gentlemen beheaded in Brussels, and on Tuesday the 2nd instant were executed certain
gentlemen taken at the conflict near Maestricht, and it was
the common talk that the Counts of Egmont and Horne should
have been brought there and executed on the 3rd. Was
unable, at his being at Brussels, to wait on Alva as the Duke
was very sick. Some say he is sick for that he does execu
tion, but is credibly informed that what with the "desser"
of the camp and the overthrow in Friesland, he was very near
gone, and is still very weak. News of discontent in the French
court. Thinks that he will soon hear of the execution of
Horne, but not of Egmont.—Louvain, 5 June 1568. Signed. |
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Add. Endd. P. 1. |
| June 6. |
2237. Sir Henry Lee to Cecil. |
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Since the conflict in Friesland, wherein the Spaniards had
the overthrow, Count Ludovic remains near the place, where
he makes some place of force. The Duke of Alva no whit
abstains from his cruelty; he has executed many gentlemen,
and yesterday, about 11 o'clock, were the Counts Egmont and
Horne beheaded. Count Ladron, the governor of this town,
has very courteously entertained the Lord Windsor and other
gentlemen at dinner. Master John Smith, being in the company, and sitting next to Lee, falling in talk of his country
(who nobly defended the honour thereof) with Captain Maria,
once the Duke of Somerset's man, they so long multiplied
words, only by Maria's double meaning, pretending friendship outwardly, yet by his words and comparisons showed
nothing but great dishonour to England. Master Smith well
seeing his cloaked malice, no longer being able to hold, gave
him the lie in the throat, whereupon further is to be looked
for, either the combat which Master Smith most desires, or
else that he will seek revenge by treason.—Antwerp, Whitsunday. Signed. |
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Add. Endd. Pp. 2. |
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2238. Executions at Brussels. |
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Names of twenty-five gentlemen executed at Brussels on
the 1st, 2nd, and 5th June; all with crosses against them had
friars to shrive them. |
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P. 1. Enclosure. |
| June 6. |
2239. Statement by Mr. John Smith. |
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Upon the Hauptman's great desire he said he had to see
England grew the contention, Smith telling him that whenever he went there he would see a brave and stout people.
Maria answered that there were there good people as in
other places, but that he never saw such bravery in them.
Then said the Hauptman that he remembered not that the
English had ever done any great matters. "No" (said I).
Quoth he, "Not that I have heard." "Why," (said I) "at
the battle of Poitiers, did not 10,000 Englishmen break and
march upon the bellies of 50,000 French, as Froisart witnesseth? Did we not in Spain, in the favour of Don Pietro
Cruell, overthrow the power of Spain?" Smith also mentioned
Hawkwood in Italy and the conquest of Cyprus by Richard
the First, at which Maria shook his head and made a disdainful countenance. Smith then said that the same virtue
of valiancy remained with the Englishmen of the present day
if occasion were offered; to which Maria said that England
was but a small country, and that King Philip had as much
as 100 Englands. Smith answered that England was great
enough to make above 50,000 men to invade abroad, and at
least 100,000 to defend at home, besides upon the seas no one
nation was stronger. "Why," said Maria, "what make ye of
the English nation if they can one day defend themselves it
is well; King Philip has three nations, that is, this nation,
the Italians, and the Spaniards, and that any one of them was
to be compared in valiancy to the English nation. Smith
answered that the English nation was as good and valiant as
any of these three or any other, and that he was ready to
maintain the same with his sword at any time if he said
the contrary. "Well, well," answered Maria, "we will talk
of this matter more after dinner in another place, these be but
words." Hereupon the magistrates of the town cried "Hola,
hola, bestay the matter"; and the Chancellor required Maria
to talk no more against the English nation, but to speak
favourably thereof considering how long they both had been
there that they were almost half Englishmen. To whom
Maria said, "Who, I, Sir? I have spoken better of the English
nation than he himself." Smith said that he who said that
he had answered better for his nation than himself lied in his
throat; whereat Maria turned away his head and made no
answer. |
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Pp. 12/3. |
| [June 16.] |
2240. Supplication of the English Merchants in the Low
Countries. |
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Complain that being creditors of a certain cloth merchant,
although they have obtained judgment upon his person and
good, they cannot get execution of the same or payment
because the King's commissioners have seized on the property
of all fugitives. As this is contrary to their privileges and
the custom of the Low Country, which is, that creditors should
be paid first, and subversive of all commerce and traffic, they
desire that the Commissioners may be ordered to satisfy their
claims. List of creditors and the sums owing to them. |
|
Endd. Fr. P. 1. |
| June 10. |
2241. Commission by the Prince of Orange. |
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Being moved by the intolerable wrongs and oppressions
done to the King's faithful subjects by the Duke of Alva, and
his foreign soldiers, and by the execrable Spanish Inquisition,
he has determined to oppose this "tirannie Albanique." As
this will be attended with great expense he commissions
certain persons to collect the contributions of those of the
religion, and others who are well disposed towards his enterprise, promising that the money so contributed shall be solely
employed towards its furtherance.—Dillembourg, 10 June
1568. Signed. |
|
Copy. Endd. Fr. Pp. 2. |
| June 26. |
2242. Proclamation by the Duke of Alva. |
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Commanding all persons who have in their possession property belonging to any condemned rebels to deliver up the
same within fourteen days to the proper officers, under pain
of paying the full value of the same, one-third of which is to
go to the informer. All transfers and conveyances by persons
under accusation are declared void, and all notaries and clerks
concealing such conveyances to be severely punished. All
debts due from the estates of condemned persons are to be
declared within three months under pain of forfeiture of the
same; and any person advancing a fraudulent claim shall be
punished according to their deserts. Judges and justices are
not to allow any pretence of certain privileges and customs
to protect the goods of condemned persons.—Brussels, 26 June
1568. |
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Endd. by Cecil. Pp. 8½. |
|
2243. Another copy.
Endd. Pp. 4. |
| June 26. |
2244. Proclamation by the Duke of Alva. |
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Forbidding all communications with rebels and banished
persons under pain of death and confiscation of goods. Any
person concealing anything to be practised against the King's
service or the tranquility of the country, is to be punished
by death or such other extraordinary ways as the case shall
require.—Brussels, 26 June 1568. |
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Endd. by Cecil. Pp. 5½. |
| June. |
2245. News from Groningen. |
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Account of certain skirmishes between the Gueux and the
Spanish forces before Groningen, between the 17th and 30th
of June 1568. |
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Endd. Fr. Pp. 3. |
| June. |
2246. News from Groningen. |
|
Account of a great skirmish between the forces of Count
Louis of Nassau and the garrison of Groningen on 22nd June
1568. |
|
Endd. P. 1. |
| June. |
2247. John Marsh to Sir William Cecil. |
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Count Ludovic has left the siege of Groningen and environs
it with three camps a mile from the town. The Duke of
Brunswick is come post to the Court. It is reported that
many of his men have declared that they will not fight in
that quarrel; and also that he was refused entry into the
towns as he passed. His men be not above 800 reiters, and
his coming was for money to pay them. Yesterday seven
burgesses of this town were carried to Brussels, whom it is
thought shall be executed this week. Arrival of certain
noblemen at Cologne. The Count of Hoogstraten is reported
to have come to Count Ludovic with 2,000 horse and 2,500
harquebussiers. The Bishop of Treves is besieging Treves to
reduce it to his temporal jurisdiction, as it was before the
time of the Emperor Charles. The Venetians make preparation in defence of themselves against the Turk. The boats
and bridges which were made at Mechlin, and the waggons
for their carriage, are appointed to be housed, and it is thought
the determination of that enterprise to be altered. The
English ships which went to the Narva, being chased by the
freebooters of Danske, have sunk three of them and carried
one with them.—Signed. |
|
Add. Endd., with seal. Pp. 1½. |
| June. |
2248. Petition of Randal Starkey and George Knightley. |
|
The Duke of Alva having caused inventories to be taken of
their lands and goods at Barrow, which they think is only
for their favouring religion in the time that it was freely
permitted by proclamation, and having summoned them and
their wives to appear before him, or his deputies, on 16 June;
they beg that Cecil will procure the Queen's favourable
letters to the said Duke and the Council of Brabant in their
behalf. |
|
Endd. P. 2/3. |
| June. |
2249. Randal Starkey and George Knightley to Sir
William Cecil. |
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Beg that some order may be taken with M. D'Assonville
for their lands and goods in Barrow, which have been confiscated by the Duke of Alva. |
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Endd. P. ⅓. |
