CP 153, 25

From Waalt

CP Volume 153 Folio 25-26

HMC Volume 1 Page 244 Number 764.

Haynes Page 342-343 Number 345

Transcribed by Samuel Haynes in “A Collection of State Papers . . . 1542 to 1570” London, 1740

3 July 1560 The Quene's Majesty to Mr. Secretary Cecill and Mr. Doctor Wootton

From the Original.

By the Quene. Elizabeth, R.

TRUSTY and right welbeloued, we grete yow well. And where we haue by our Lettres of the 24th of the last Mouneth signifyed our Pleasure unto yow, for your manner of proceding with the Frenche Commissioners, in the Demande for a Recompence to be made to us by the Frenche King and Quene, for the Usurpation of our Armes and Title of our Realmes: Forasmuch as, sythens that Tyme, we have ben very crediblie informed of suche Matter, as gyveth us well to understande, that we may, by standing fast to it nowe, obtayne very large Recompence, and that at this Tyme they wolde not denye us almost any honnorable Recompence we wolde require, we have therefore thought good to let yow understande our farther Pleasure in this Sort. Fyrst, yf yow shall have concluded for us with the Frenche Commissioners before the Receipt of these our Lettres, we mynde not yow shold varye in any Point agreed unto by yow, according to our former Lettres and Instructions, but stand thereto and fynishe all Things accordingly: But if you shall not haue concluded before these our Lettres shall come to yow, in that case thinking good to followe all the Commodities that the Tyme doth offer, we wolde yow sholde earnestly styck to your former demaunde to haue five hundred thousand Crownes, and Calice with the Marches restored to us, for a Recompence for the great and dishonorable Injuries, that the sayd Frenche King and Queone have offered unto us by using our Armes and the Tytles of our Realmes; which demaundes we require yow to presse and maintayne to the Frenche Commissioners by all the Wayes and Means you may; shewing them, that, without their Agreement to this Recompence, yow must and will breake of. And if the Frenche wi by no meanes be induced to agree to this Demande, we pray yow spare to make the Offer for the Order of the sayd Recompence, to our good Brother the King of Spayne; intertayning nevertheless this Tratie with the Frenche Commissioners, untill yow shall haue advertised us of your doings in this Point, and thereuppon shall haue receyued our resolute Aunswer for that Matter. Yow shall farther understand, that we haue seen a Note of the Articles agreed uppon by your good Travayle, betwene the Lords of Scotland, and the Frenche Commissioners; which as for the more Part we lyke very well, so can we not hyde from yow, that we cannot but mislyke the Scottyshe Lordes defyre to have still theyr Intertaynments and Lyvings in France: Which Desyre cannot but drawe with it some suche farther Sequell, as we feare may bring many of them thereafter, for feare of losse of those Lyvings, to depend more uppon the French, then shall be good either for Conservation of our League with them, or for theyr owne Surities. Youe, our Secretary, knowe our olde saying, Nemo potest servire Deo & Mammonæ. This Point we haue thought good to remember unto yow to, for although we wolde be glad of theyr Increase of Honnor and Lyvings by any Meanes from theyr Quene, yet wolde we be sory the sayd Lords or any of them sholde so bynde themselfs to the Frenche for any Intertaynment or Lyving, as might hereafter, either cause them to loose theyr Honour in accepting the sayd Entertaynment of France, or drawe any of them to forget theyr Promys to us, and Suretie of theyr Countrye. Given under our Signet, at our Manor of Grenewiche, the 3d of July, the second Yere of our Reigne.

POSTSCRIPT. Sence the writing hereof, the Frenche Ambassador hath this Afternoone byn with us, and, emongst other Things, hath demaunded Pasport for a Gentleman called Le Sieur de Bueill, who being lately sent from the Frenche Commissioners into France, returneth back agayne thither. And bycause we supposed that his sending into France had byn to bring sume Resolution touching the Recompence, for the bearing of our Armes and using our Title, we looked to have herd some what of that Matter by the Ambassador at this Tyme: But we cannot perceave that this Man had any such Thing in Charge; neither do we understand by any your Lettres or Articles sent hither, that the Frenche Commissioners haue hitherto made any direct Answer to the Demaunds, that yow had in Commission to move unto them for the sayd Recompence, but onely, in general Termes, a playne Deniall to haue any Commission to deale in that Matter, which we cannot perceyve is any thing enlarged by this Man's coming. Wee see the Scotts ar liberally consideryd in theyr Demands, and allmost nothing refused that they asked, but our reasonable Demaunds in a Matter that toucheth us so nere, and wherein we haue susteyned so notable wrong, is not so wayed by the Frenche, nor brought to any suche Termes of indifferent Recompence, as Reason and Equite wolde. You may therefore uppon good Grounde shewe them that, although yow haue semed to lyke well of the rest of theyr Offers, yet, dyd you hitherto looke, (and specially nowe by this Gentleman) to haue had sume more reasonable Aunswer touching this Matter of Recompence, then they haue hitherto made; which Matter wolde in no wyse be forgotten to be earnestly pressed unto them.

To our trusty and right welheloued Counsellours Sir William Cecill Knight, our principall Secretary, and Mr. Doctor Wootton, Dean of Canterbury and Yorke, our Commissioners presently in Scotland.