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  1. Cecil Papers in Hatfield House
  2. Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House: Volume 4, 1590-1594
  3. Cecil Papers: April 1591

Cecil Papers: April 1591

Pages 102-108

Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House: Volume 4, 1590-1594. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1892.

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Citation:

April 1591

Richard, Baron Staremberg to Archibald Douglas.
1591, April 1. Si ab eo quo ex Anglia discessi occasio sese mihi ulla ad te scribendi obtulisset, non comisissem ut hue usque litteras meas desiderasses. Verum ego toto hoc tempore ita f ui itineribus distractus ut in nullo fixo aut certo loco pedem figere potuerim. Itaque quid hine volitans ad te scribere potui nisi volatile pariter ac plummeum ? Tamen quia i . . . . culum ocii nactus sum, et hie Francofurti consisto, id est in illa Germanise civitate u[nde] in omnes Europæ regiones litteras mittere licet, volui ad te quae mihi videbantur scribere.
Vicecomitem Turenium et Horatium Pallavieinum Galliarum Regis et R[eginæ] vestræ legatos ex Anglia in Germaniam sum comitatus. Iter habuimus non . . . sed ipso actu periculosum et molestum valde. Ventus Colsestria abeun[tibus] propitius satis; sed paulo post immutatus Vlissingam Selandiæ nos. . . . . .Quae res duorum malorum fuit causa; primum, ut iter quod mensis spatio abf . . constitueramus vix in trium conficeremus, deinde ut non sine magno periculo per Hispaniarum Tegis ditionem iter facere cogeremur. Aqua ex Selandia Hamburgum contendere nos potuisse fateor, sed fuisset nimis diu secundiorem ven[tum] expectore; et deinde illi elemento confidere nos ipsos nolebamus quod paulo ante graviter nos afflixisset. Profecti ergo per Ultrajectum, Geldriam, Zutphaniam, Regis Hispaniarum provincias, cum duobus et amplius mille equitibus, et peditibus, tandem Vesaliam, primam Germanise superioris provinciam, attigimus. Inde facilius nobis et minus periculosum iter fuit, nam fere semper per Protestantium principum ditiones in aulam usque Saxoniæ Electoris iter fecimus. Cupis hic, scio, cognoscere quomodo hic legati excepti, et an comiter tractati fuerint. Scriberem si tempus pateretur, sed interim hoc scito, nunquam legatos in Germaniam majori cum principum omnium voluntate accessisse quam hoc tempore isti. . . . . .ergo dubium regem Galliarum modo ilium Deus humanis auxiliis adjuvari ve . . . . ab istis aliquid auxilii accepturum. Particularia magis hoc tempore non scio, generalia tantum scribo, sed sufficient tibi ista; præsertim ubi ex optimo h . . . in te animo a me scripta putabis.—Francofurti. Calend. Aprilis, 1591o.
Signed. Seal. 1 p.
Richard Carmarthen to the Lord High Treasurer.
1591, April 5. Understanding that your lordship hath very lately passed your letters to the officers of Hull to permit the merchants in those parts to make their entries of all such sort of their northern cloths with such favour as they were accustomed and allowed to do before the commencement of Sir Francis Walsingham's lease, until better cause may be shown for alteration, which your lordship might long ere this have known by Mr. Bland or myself, and generally by all her Majesty's officers in the port of London and merchants there, had not I too much trusted to Mr. Younge, who did assure me that he and others called to the hearing of the matter would never suffer the same to pass, but would thoroughly inform you how much the same would be to Her Majesty's hindrance and grievous to those usually shipping the same sort of northern cloth, I crave that Mr. Bland and myself may attend on you to-morrow morning to declare our knowledge therein.—Greenwich, 5 April, 1591.
Holograph. 1 p.
Ordnance for the King of France.
1591, April 6. Warrant under the sign manual addressed to Lord Burghley permitting, in accordance with the request of the French King, one Robert Boulain Contrye, a French subject, to buy within the realm 20 pieces of cast iron ordnance, viz. 12 “dymy “culverins and 8 sacres, to be transported to Denmark by certain of the Queen's subjects for the furniture of a ship builded there for the said King's use, and to be by the said Queen's subjects brought into England.—Greenwich, 6 April, 33 Eliz.
Signet, 1 p.
Richard Horton to Juan de Ambias.
1591, April 10/20. “Mi huolgo mucho de lo que V. M. ha escripto de su salud y de la buena acogida q' el mi Sor a le dado in Milano. Aqui en esta corte no ay cosa nueba, si no de la buena salud del Rey N. S., y del Principino su hijo, les quales entrambos eran muy amalados estas dias passadas, como si suelen cada ano en el mez de Abril. . La Infanta a hecho muchos ruegos, y muy de veras, que no bayan dilatando su casamento, hasta a su vejez, con las van as esperansas de Francia, y anzi los mas cuerdes en esta cividad piensan que por el mez de Settiembre si ha de casar con il cardinal de Lisbon. Los 4 patajos q' llebaron el oro de las Indias el Febrero passado estan un otra vez in orden para la misma carera dellas Indias y por toto Mayo le an de partir. El general dellos es el D. Juan del Aquila y tiene commission de llebar consigo toda la plata y el oro, y dar aviso que la flotta non si saiga hoc ano puesto que no venga alguno aviso al contrario, y por este effecto quedan aun dos otres patajos en St Lucas que an de salir conforme alas nuebas que recebimes de los corsales de Ynglaterra. El capitan Cripes ha hecho milagres hoc ano, en el strecho de Gibraltar ha preso dos o tres navios y ha dado gran disso spavendo a todos que han de passar por aquel camino. Tiene de nuevo anadidos otros tres filibottes con gente y municion a las fuercas q' antes tenia, y si intiende que ha de hazer hechos. La major par to de su gente son Ingleses. Agora no estan pacificados los de Aragona, y la gente mas lucida de Ferol y los q' llegaron nuebamente di Italia son todos enbiados alla, y tienen aqui miedo de algun grand revuelto. Por todas las ciudades aqui si haze gente y a todos q' quieron servir estan prepuestos grandiss0S privilegios y immunidades, y aqui dizen q' el rey quiere inviar luego in Francia por via de Britañia diez mil de los mas senalados hombres q' tiene. Del intertenimiento del nuestro buen Juan no si puede hazer nada por agora puesto que no quiere servir in Napoles o in Sicilia, porque in Hispania no le quieron dar su libranca hasta que con tiempo sia libre de aquel suspecho de la pratica q' abia con el Th. Aqui recibimos cada dia in quantidad artileria de Inglaterra por via de Lubeca, Embden, Bremen y Hamburgo, y l' lleban los mercadores de lla sin suspecho con navios cargatos de carbon. Todo haze il dinero. El nuestro Pad. no tiene aquel au tori tad ny lugar que tenia los anos passados y por esto y por las otras razones que le di en mis postreras V. M. no hallera aqui el recaudo que piensa, y por esto no 1' a consigo ninguna maniera que se ponga in viaggo si no quando sia llamado y esto sara quando las cosas de nuestra terra sian mas maduras y entronces todos hemos de ser soldados, hemos de ser llamados y acareçados : la nuestra recidençia de St Lucas esta en piedi y va muy adelante, y agora estan alli ocho Ingleses, y en Sevilla Agora hemos grandes esperancas de on otre seminarie mas ricco y poderoso de los otres tres. Los nuevos martyres que cada dia hazen en Inglaterra aqui nos hazen muchos amigos y nuebos devotes, y no ay cosa ninguna que nos haze mas provecho aqua que las muertes de los nuestros hermanos hoc ano in Valladolid, estan muertos 6 de los nueslros y 4 del los eran de los doze que venian de Inglaterra en Octobre. passado. De lo V. M. mi ha importunado que quedisse aqua y le escriverse muy al minudo, no lo puedo hazer in ninguna maniera por que no mi quieren pagar mas aqua ray pencion q' esta librado para Flandres y anzi con la primera flota de los Flamingos que partira de Lisboa pienso de embarcar mi, por que aqui todo es frio y io pierdo tiempo.”—Madrid, 20 April, 1591.
Addressed : A Juan de Ambias, mi Sor en la corte del D. de Feria, Milano.
Holograph. 2 pp.
Robert Parsons to John Sicilio and John Fixerro, English priestsin Lisbon.
1591, April 13th. By reason of my indisposition, whereof I wrote to Mr Couling, I cannot write this with my own hand. I received Mr Sicil's letter of the fifth even now, and very sorry I was of your disappointment in Aymont, but yet the certain hope which Mr. Sicil giveth me of your present and prosperous despatch from thence did comfort me greatly again; and I beseech Christ Jesu to assist you therein, and in all your actions, to His glory. F. Warford[margin : “one of them that are come out of Spain ”] departed the third of this present, with commodity and company greatly to his contentment, and I think you shall hear of his passage by the place whereunto you go. F. [Oli]ver [margin :“Oliver Almond, another”] for that he found no passage directly to England, with g[ood] commodity also of safe landing, upon good consultation, took the s[ame], and is either gone, or to go presently. I pray you both to h[ave] great care to advertise me by the first, and by as many wa[ys] as you can, either by Holland, Ireland, St Malo or Fland[ers][margin : “by these ways pass men in and out into Spain, and for that he wisheth to [be] advised hereof quickly”] what you find in the man my cousin, whereof Mr. Sicil a[nd I] talked so much in the green before St. Francis in the po. . . . . .that it may be advertised letter, or to Rome for my better] satisfaction, what hope there be of him every way, and tha[t] you keep the matter only to yourselves for his most safety, except it be only to tell F. Garnett or F. Southwell [margin : “Garnet and Southwell, jesuits in England ”] of it. The form in [the] which you may advertise me may be this, and I pray you note it, “Your cousin the baker is well inclined and glad to hear of you, and meaneth not to give over his pretence to the old bakehouse you know of, but rather to put the same in suit when his ability shall serve” [margin : “by baker and bakehouse is understood my lord Stra[nge] and the title they would have him pretend when her Majesty dieth”]. To John Garret [margin : “John Garret, a priest in England.”] you may commend me by token that, at his last departure from me, he gave me a little vulto Salvatoris for my diurnal, enamelled upon the print, and two letters under for his name. Again I request you that my cousin's matter [margin :“by his cousin is means my lord Straunge”] be dealt in secrecy, lest it may turn the poor man to hurt, but great desire I have to hear truly and particularly of his estate; and thus, having nothing else to write but only to do my hearty commendations to Mr. Peares Harborne, your good guide, I take my leave.—13th April 1591.
Headed. —“This letter I brought of purpose that you might see it was no matter framed of mine own head that which they pretend of my lord Stra[nge].”
Heading and marginal notes in another hand.
Signed. 1 p.
The Queen to the Elector Palatine.
1591, April 14 The King of Spain having sent an envoy to the Duke of Lorraine that he may induce the Elector to prevent the levying of troops in Germany by Viscount Turenne sent there by the King of France for that purpose, the Queen exhorts him to be on his guard, to unite in strict alliance with the other Princes of the Empire, and to follow Scipio's motto : “Res non verba ad me purgandum comparabo”—Greenwich, 14 April 1591.
Latin. Seal. 2½ pp.
Manor of Mulgbave.
1591, April 17. Warrant under the sign manual, addressed to Lord Burghley, for the grant to Lord Sheffield and his heirs of the Manor of Mulgrave in the county of York, parcel of the possessions of Sir Francis Bigod, Knt. late of high treason attainted; Lord Sheffield to pay therefor the ancient rent of 410l. 18s. 3d., and to hold the same by knight service in capite by the 20th part of a knight's fee.—Theobald's, 17 May, 33rd Eliz.
Signet. 1 p.
jaques Barler to Sir John Conway.
1591, April 20/30. Tuas sexta martii scriptas vicesima nona istius mensis accepi, ex quibus te valde mirari nihil de me audivisse intelligo, quanquam in me mora fungi officio non fuit ulla. Quamcitissimé post decessionem meam a te profectus fui Caletim, ibique cum Thoma rem meam egi scripslque diligenter de statu rerum provissionis, posteaque famulum meum quam sepissime transmisi; nee unquam responsum ullum habui quod me morare post reditum meum e Galh's fecit; cum tamen sepissime occasionem quæsivi quâ ratione ad te litteras traderem certioremque faceram, si visum fuerit tibi ut alium possimus habere ec familiarem quern singulis diebus litteras meas transmittere possim, ut omnia sub silentio transeat, vellem; quia metuo ne aliquid Housen qui thesaurarius tuus a militibus fuit divulgaverit, cum viderim ilium familiarissimum fuisse domino la Motte, et etiam post paucos dies reversum in patriam. Ut igitur scribam, intelligimus Ducem infra duobus mensibus in Galliam magno cum exercitu reversurum ut debellare possimus Regem Naverre. Comes a Betlaymont profectus est in Germaniam, qui breviter aliquod militum secum adducet, curamque datur ut aliquos persolverentur, qui equites e Germania adducerent. Ex Italia expectamus decern millia hominum tarn pedestres quam equestres. Pro Francorum liga, Aunonæ miserunt officialem Duarim et insule ut provisionem facerent pro itinere. Dominus la Motte magnam facit præparationem cum suis instrumentis bellicis; sunt quidam qui habent opinionem nos ituros ante decessionem istius patrie versus Breda; sed non facile credendum est. His paucis velim ut grati fuerint; si visum tibi fuerit ut possim quam citissimé habere responsum. Si fuerit etiam possibile ut mihi transmittatur aliquod pecunie quia omnia hie adeo cara sint ut nihil sine illa facere possinus. Si ad me scribas, mittas litteras tuas in edibus domini Thesaurarii finantiarum ut ad me dentur, et si quid aliud est quod pro te facere possim libentissime fecero.
PS.—Orarem ut pater nullam haberet molestiam qui mihi sepissime scribit quod mercator ilium valde molestatur, idcirco rescribas mihi ut tanto alacrius procedere possimut promisi.—Brussels, 30 April, 1591. [symbol]
Seal. 1 p.
Unclosed :—
In primis est a secretis Ononice et que scribentur omnibus in locis visitat.
Si dux Parmensis aliquant civitatem obsidere vult, per provisiones Ononiæ scire potest in qua parte et ad quam civitatem.
Si interprisionem facere cupit per quantitatem panis qui puncto temporis apparentur ubinam hoc fiet percipere potest.
Si apparentur aliqua ut civitatem Ostendm invadere velint similiter per provisiones quce Jient Gandavi, Bruges, vel Dunkerchæ scire potest.
Omnia quæ transeunt in f. . . . . . regis. . . . . domini Drencebairt vel a seipso intelligere potest.
Familiaritatem habet cum comite de Barlaimont; si parentur aliqua que attinent ad pugnum navale per conversationem illius comitis intelligere potest.
Habet etiam familiaritatem cum domino Crabbe, provincialis ordinis divi Augustini, qui singulis hebdomatis omnia quce in Italia et Hispania transeunt habet.
Multa alia sunt que singulis diebus occurrunt sed ista sunt nisi prima fundamenta. [symbol]
Note. —“The mark which Jaques Barler will use in his letters for his name. J. Conway.”
John Bull, organist of the Queen's Chapel, to the Queen.
1591, April 20. Petition for a lease in reversion of 30l. yearly, to relieve his great poverty which altogether hinders his studies.
Endorsed;—20 April 1591.
Note by William Aubrey that the Queen grants a lease of 20 marks yearly.
½ p.
Richard Carmarthen lo Sir Robert Cecil.
1591, April 24. Explaining that being summoned to Court in consequence of Mr. Smythe's infirmities and danger of death, to receive the Queen's pleasure touching him and his causes, he took the opportunity of preparing the Queen against the petition by which he understood the merchants at Hull were intending to press her Majesty for their former allowance in regard to the customs of the Northern cloth there, “I let her Majesty understand what had so lately passed touching them, delivering to her your care so speedily to despatch your letters to prevent such prejudice as might have happened by misconstruing of your former letters. Her Majesty then very graciously accepted your lordship's honourable care for her share. But understanding by Mr. Middleton that Mr. Treasurer was greatly grieved at me for that (as he said) I had complained to Her Majesty against your Lo. and his Honour touching the matter, I thought good to declare the truth herein as before, lest I might be condemned without desert. Her Majesty will, I am assured, justify what I have written to be true.”—London, 24 April, 1591.
Holograph. Seal. 1 p.
King of Poland.
1591, April 30. Warrant under the sign manual, addressed to Lord Burghley, to permit the King of Poland to buy and transport 1,200 clothes, paying only such custom as the Queen's subjects do.—Hackney, the last day of April, 1591.
Signet. 1 p.
Robert Johnson, clerk, to the Queen.
[1591, April.] He obtained licence for erecting two Hospitals for the relief of impotent and poor subjects, and for two Grammar Schools, in Oakham and Uppingham, Rutland. Has built the houses for the two schools, and intends to proceed with the hospitals. Asks for grant of 50l. per annum in tithes or impropriations. Endorsed :—April 1591.
Note by Lord Burghley. —“I know that the party hath begun these good acts, and hath maintained them with all the goods that his father left him. These actions are rare in this age.”
Note by TV. Aubrey that the Queen greatly commends and likes the petitioner's good and charitable intent, and grants the suit.
Robert Buxton.
[1591, April.] Warrant under the sign manual for Robert Buxton to have a lease to him or his assigns, in reversion, for thirty years, of the late dissolved college of Rushworth. otherwise Rufforth, otherwise Rufford, in the county of Norfolk, and other lands sometime parcel of the same college in the said county, which Philip late Earl of Arundel, William Dyxe, Esq. and William Canterell, gent., by indenture of June 24th, 22 Eliz., let to farm to the said Robert, for which the yearly rent is set down in the survey thereof at or under 29l., and which came to the Crown by the attainder of the said Earl of Arundel; he paying therefor the yearly rent of 29l. Also the said Robert is to have a grant to him his heirs and assigns, in fee farm, of 120 acres of pasture in Badingham, Donnington, and Framlingham, in the county of Suffolk, and of a house thereupon builded, sometime the inheritance of one Fastallff, and of late parcel of the manor of Okenhall, which escheated to the Crown by the attainder of Thomas, late Duke of Norfolk, to be holden by such services as the Lord Treasurer shall set down at a yearly rent of 13l. 6s. 8d.—Richmond. 1591.
Endorsed :—“A warrant from her Majesty to Mr Buxton. April 1591.'
1 p.