El Emperador a Francisco de Eraso.

I have received your letter of the 12th instant, and was much pleased to hear that you and the King and Queen were all well, as also that she is now considered certainly to be with child and that people in general are pleased with the King and all, especially the Councillors, love him. It was good to hear that the rising of which you wrote from Calais failed to make headway, and that England was at peace and giving no lack of signs of a better time to come. You did well to inform me of all this, and you will be careful to give an account of everything that seems to you worth mentioning.

You acted in quite the right way with the man who went as ambassador to Spain and the Admiral, and as they were pleased and made the offers you mention, which we hope they will fulfill, you will treat the others in a similar manner; for at any rate it can do no harm.

It was wise to decide that none of the officers should exercise his office, as it has been thought best to send them back to Spain; and I approve of the line adopted with regard to vagabonds, though it cannot well be put into execution for the present lest a greater evil befall; but I hope the time for it will come, and it will certainly be a good measure. I am glad the Spaniard who killed an Englishman has been executed, and that he (the King?) is going to get rid of Saavedra because of the presumption against him. I have no doubt he (Saavedra) talks about revelations in order to put off what he is afraid is going to happen to him; but one must be careful in such matters, and also to take the measures that seem most prudent in view of what has been discovered about Elizabeth and her followers. It is a good thing that Parliament is to meet on November 12th, and that the King is making ready to treat the religious question with the assistance of Paget, who has returned. He is the right man, and is hopeful of the result on condition that Church property is not touched. The courier you said was to be sent to Rome about the brief has arrived here, but as we were not informed of what he was carrying and he only had a note telling him to proceed at once we opened his packet for Don Juan Manrique and sealed it up again with our secret seal. On reading the letter, I caused the Legate to be spoken to and wrote to Don Juan as I thought seemed required. I have also written to tell my son all about it, as you will hear from him. Simon Renard has arrived and I have heard what he has to say, so all that is necessary will be done.

As the King has heard the terms proposed for taking up a million at exchange and thinks they had better be accepted, I have ordered the courier to go by way of Antwerp with your dispatch for the bankers, whose reply will tell you what there is to be told. I need say no more except that the matter had better be pushed on to a conclusion according to the project formed, as we have no choice. Of the money in Zárate's hands we have not taken out any more over and above the sum you know of except 10,000 crowns for necessary and household expenses, 6,000 of which were given to the Spanish infantry as an instalment on their pay, as I heard they were in dire straits. We will keep the rest for the purpose you mention. I was sorry to hear about the trouble in Peru, but as our people got the best of it I trust the rebels have been broken up. There is nothing to be said about that appointment or what the Count of Olivares asks for, and as for the other matters you mention, I will only charge you to try to settle them as soon as possible.

Decipher. Spanish.