lunes, 18 de mayo de 1587

Edad:
59 años

Carta del negociador inglés De Loo a Sir James Croft (?)

DE LOO to [SIR JAMES CROFT ?].


I believe you will have thought it strange not to have heard from me, but it has been only from want of matter, for I have been little at this court ; both because of the Whitsun feasts and because his Highness has not been very well, and also that, having presented her Majesty's letter, and given his Highness her message by word of mouth (on which I knew he would wish to deliberate) I went to visit my mother, aged 84 years, and on arriving was seized with so violent a tertian fever that I thought I should have died.

I have not yet recovered my strength but being returned here, I write to tell you how astonished his Highness is at what is contained in her Majesty's letter concerning Religion ; declaring that from the first I have been told that he could not grant the exercise of it ; and truly the Lords of the Council here have continually assured me that the king had expressly commanded him not to consent to it in any way.

And this is what the Duke wished to hint at in his letter to her Majesty, saying that he hoped she would be content not to urge it. From his Highness' affectionate discourse with me, it may certainly be said that he is acting with great zeal and most sincere heart and open mind ; seeing it to be for the good and quiet both of her Majesty and the king to make a good peace, which he has now authority to conclude ; and will do so with all possible reputation, honour and glory to her Majesty, preserving at the same time what is due to the king his master; and conceding to Holland and Zeeland, by the intercession of her Majesty, some years in which they shall not be molested or questioned for matter of religion, with all other favours (saving the exercise) which may be reasonably desired.And it seems to his Highness that they may as well be contented with this as were Maestricht, Ghent, Bruges, Brussels and lastly Antwerp ; with many other places which have become reconciled, and now go on in happy agreement.

And they ask me what was done in England when her Majesty came to the throne, seeing that in the time of Queen Mary numberless persons were born and bred up in the Catholic religion. And in fact this has been the chief point of which my friends in Antwerp have warned me ever since January a year ago, when by licence from her Majesty I first began to meddle in this matter, on being informed of the good disposition of his Highness, and his desire to accommodate the differences between her Majesty and the King of Spain, on condition that she would be pleased not to seek to lay down the law to the King in the matter of Religion, any more than she would have him do to her ; as indeed no Prince would allow, each being left to render account to God to content himself with the rule granted him by the divine favour.

And Lord Buckhurst having caused me to say to the Duke at another time on the part of her Majesty that she was content not to stand otherwise on the point of Religion, or to wish to press the King to more than he could grant with safety, conscience and honour, it seems that the Duke was satisfied with this, holding the Queen to be of so noble a disposition that she would not demand more than was in his power, [the document is here injured by damp] and declared himself ready to treat, if her Majesty would do the like, giving her the appointment of place and time for the meeting of the deputies, in order to decide the business as quickly as possible ; that he was most ready, and did not wish that by delay, any accident might happen to make the king change his mind ; and that he had orders from Spain to bring the treaty to a stand, as if such a thing should happen, we might come to lack that which now may be had with the highest honour and reputation. Cum sit that daily strange chances are seen to intervene, the fortune of war being ever uncertain.

Therefore, as I have often written, it is well to strike the iron while it is hot, for it might happen to the United Provinces as the proverb says : Chi tutto vole, tutto perde ; and it being likewise granted that a poor agreement is better than a good lawsuit. Whence it may be said that it will be no small thing which the intercession of her Majesty may enable them to recover, to her perpetual praise and immortal glory.

And thus there might be concluded a very honourable peace, which would be a blessing to both crowns, to their people and their realms, enabling them to live in peace and happiness, without further shedding of human blood. [Enlarges further on the advantages of the treaty.] I cannot learn when I shall have my dispatch, and it may be that his Highness will not make much haste, seeing or believing that matters on that side are not yet sufficiently settled to come to a conclusion.As also, sometimes he does not know how to make a reply which will satisfy the Queen, while on the other hand he is energetically preparing for war.

I would willingly depart, being here at inconvenience and great charges, and to great injury of my private affairs, as you may easily imagine ; having abandoned my house for a whole year. Yet all this, truly, would cause me but little vexation if I could spend my blood for the public good, which may God be pleased to bring to a happy end at last.

From Antwerp I hear that they have sure advertisement that by love or by force his Highness is to be King of Poland. God grant it, for he is worthy of the Imperial crown. I send you copies of the letters written to Lord Buckhurst, to which I hope for his reply before departing, in order to satisfy his Highness, who wishes to have news of him.

And finally I say that by no other means than by this benign Prince can there be concluded with more advantage and honour the aforesaid peace ; for which (and this I declare from the bottom of my heart) it would greatly grieve me that so good an occasion as the present should be lost.

 Ut recolemus illud poeticum, quis nisi mentis inops, optatum respicat aurum ; begging you to pardon me for my boldness, and praying that the Divine mercy may grant long and happy life to her Majesty, the Lord Treasurer, yourself and Mr. Secretary.

Brussels, 18 May, 1587.

Postscript. It coming to my ears that divers are threatening me, saying openly that they shall lie in wait for me on the sea, I beg that Mr. Secretary will give orders that I may pass without harm ; and from Calais or Dunkirk I will write to Hains, your man, of my arrival there. 

Holograph. Endd. Italian. 4 pp. Covering sheet wanting. [Flanders I. f. 276.]

Fuentes

Calendar of State Papers Foreign: Elizabeth, Volume 21, part 3, April-December 1587.

Holland and Flanders (2).

ed. Sophie Crawford Lomas and Allen B Hinds.

Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1929.

 

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