El Emperador a Simon Renard

Béthune,

We have received your letters of August 23rd (i.e. 24th?) and assure you that you are doing good service by continuing to let us know the news and what you make of the general situation in England. We are sure you will already have done your best to inform the King, our son, and those he has about him of the condition of affairs as you see it; but they have not been there long enough to be able to find their way unaided, and for the time being you can serve us better there than elsewhere, so we desire you to continue some time yet. We will not fail to grant your request to be recalled as soon as we see that your presence in England is no longer required.

We were very glad to hear that our son's entry into London went off so well, and that, as your letter says, he found favour with the townsmen; for thus those who had maliciously blackened him will be branded liars.

As for the audience he granted to the French ambassador, we have heard nothing about it except what was reported by M. de la Chaux, who told us that when the ambassador applied for audience, our son replied that while matters stood as they did between us and the ambassador's master he could not grant it as our son, but as King of England, a country that had treaties and confederations with France, he would very gladly do so. The audience then took place in presence of the Privy Council, but the ambassador seemed perturbed and at a loss for words, and the drift of his harangue was that he had no commission or letters from his King, but thought his office made it incumbent upon him to join the other ambassadors in offering his congratulations on the marriage; and this he did in cold phrases. He desired to know, moreover, whether in spite of the state of affairs between us and his master, our son meant to observe the treaties between France and England. After consulting with the Council, our son caused the Chancellor to reply that he would observe the treaties as long as the French did the same, and gave him no provocation to do otherwise.

The Councillors have requested our son for leave to export a further sum of 100,000 ducats, over and above the amount for which permission has already been given; and we do not know whether they were acting of their own accord or prompted by the Queen. Our son replied that as he was now out of Spain and his sister had been appointed by us to govern that country, the application ought to be made to us or to her. However, wishing to please the English, we have granted the permission, and are sending it by Eraso, the present bearer. But we are writing to tell you to endeavour, with your usual dexterity, to make the English understand that they must not make any more such demands on us in the future. You will explain to them that by granting these permissions we greatly embarrass our Spanish kingdoms, and indeed the drawbacks involved are such that we have determined to put a stop to them at whatever cost, so we are incurring very heavy losses in order to buy out the parties to whom permissions had been granted, with the one object of putting a stop to the practice. And we have decided to issue no more, either for the Low Countries or anywhere else, even if we lose heavily thereby. We trust that when they have grasped this they will refrain from further requests, since your account will have shown them that we have the best reasons for refusing.

MM. d'Egmont, Humbercourt and de La Chaux have brought us autograph letters from the Queen, but as they were written in reply to ours we will not trouble her with an answer, and you may tell her so if you think fit. Never omit to assure her, whenever a good opening presents itself, of our affection and goodwill, and our confidence that her feelings for us are equally sincere.

Minute. French.