BL MSS Cotton Galba c. i, 73

BL MSS Cotton Galba c. i, 73

Wright Vol 1, 9 Page 23

Sir Thomas Chaloner to Cecil, Brussels, Dec. 6 1559

Transcribed by Thomas Wright, ‘Queen Elizabeth and her times,’ London, 1838

(Dated Bruxelles, Dec. 6, 1559. )

"I must tell you," quoth he, (1) " that of late four thousand crownes were surprized by the French, sent for the reliefe of the Scotts ; that whatsoever you make, that the Queen did not knowe thereof, and that it was a portion sent by Monsieur Cecill the Secretarie, you cannot make the French to beleeve it, for how can they think that Cecill had so much to spare, but rather persuade themselves that the rebells are covertlie maintained by the Queen. And thus you know,"- quoth he, "as much as I do therein. But now to the point," saith he, "where you require th to consider the sequell of the French enterprise might tende to the danger of ours. I confesse," quoth he, " it is true what you saie. But first, to speake somewhat of the King my master, it is evident what sincere affection he had borne to the Queen, offering himselfe to her in manage, standing betweene her and the danger of her lyfe, namelie, sending one time Johan d'Ayala unto to her to protest that she should better regard the state of her life, but now being fair of, although he could not doe the semblable, yet he would be verie sorye anie sinister adventure should chance unto her, seeing, as you saie, the vicinitie should put us in remembrance of our owne cause. But when the King, having discharged the office of a neighbour and friend, shall see his premonition not esteemed, what resteth ells unto him then to provide some other waies for him? One thing assure yourselfe, that for your quarrel the King will not breake his peace with France. If you will not provide for yourselfe, the King must be driven to looke to his owne indempnitie, el pourveoir a ses affaires, by all meanes he can." This clause somewhat altered, I remember he repeateth three or four times. " But it is strange," quoth he, " that you beleeve the world knoweth not your weaknes. I demande what store of captaines or men of warre have you ? What treasure, what furniture for defence ? What hold in England able to endure the breath of a cannon one daie ? Your men, I coiifesse, are valiant, but without discipline. But admitte you had discipline, what should it avayle in division ? The people a little removed from London are not of the Queene's religion. The nobles repine at it, and we are not ignorant, that of late some of them conspired against her."

(1) The Bishop of Arras. This extract from a letter of Sir Thomas, giving an account of a conversation he had had with that minister on the affairs of Scotland, shows the false game which the Spaniards were playing towards England, who, while they pretended to feel an interest for the Queen, were aiding the designs of the French in Scotland by their cunning representations of the weakness of the English, and exhortations to keep aloof from intermeddling. Had it not been for Cecil, these representations would probably have hindered Elizabeth from interfering openly. It was with the utmost difficulty that Cecil prevailed. Fortunately, the Spaniards, while they endeavoured to deceive the English as to their own strength, deceived themselves.