Pedro de Hoyo a Juan Vázquez de Molina

Hampton Court,

I wrote to you yesterday by Don Juan Tavera, who left this place to sail in Don Alvaro de Bazan's galley, which they say is going to leave early to-morrow morning. Queen Mary is sending a courier to the Portuguese court to-day, and I am adding a letter to go by him, in case he arrived before the other.

The Emperor and the King and Queen are well. The Emperor is at St. Omer, and his camp at Renty, and the King of France at Montreuil, four leagues away. Eraso has written that the King is not expected to undertake anything much this year, and his Majesty is awaiting the arrival of the Spaniards before deciding what he shall do, though most people think the season is too far advanced for anything more than a burning raid. The King had already begun splitting up his forces.

A son of Blasco Neúñz Vela has arrived here from Siena with certain news of the defeat inflicted on Peter Strozzi by Don Juan Manrique de Lara and the Marquis of Marignano, who slew over 4,000 of the enemy with a loss of only 70 on our side; 70 banners were taken and it is believed that Strozzi was wounded; but none of the King of France's chief agents was killed or taken prisoner.

There are no news of the sailing of the Turkish fleet past Cape Faro, and it seems doubtful whether it will do so this year. It consists of 50 galleys, and has done damage on the coasts of the kingdom of Naples. The Duke of Sessa has had one of his villages sacked by them.

The King and Queen have left London for this place of Hampton Court, the finest house in the country, and some say in the world, and they are not far wrong. Last Thursday, the 23 rd, they were supposed to be staying here three days, but now nothing is known for certain. On the 22nd, the day before arriving here, the Queen received the Princess's and your letters of the 3rd instant, as well as the one you wrote from Sarria on July 17th and his Majesty's, a duplicate of which the King told me he received at sea, so it was unnecessary to decipher it.

I do not quite understand the course events are taking here, and they look as if they would be slow to mend. God knows I would be glad . . . 

Gonzalo Pérez stayed behind in London, and either for that reason or because I have been working well, they have given me all there has been to be done. Among the last two or three despatches was one about the Spanish infantry, which as it has failed to reach Flanders must now land at Calais. Another is for Don Juan de Mendoza, who is to accompany the troops out of English territory, and then go on to his Majesty's court with a letter in the King's own hand about the Queen of Bohemia's affairs and three or four other matters. We will see what comes of it. If you think I had better stay here you must write and tell the King what you consider ought to be done. For my part, you may be sure that I will always do my best to serve your interests.

Licentiate Menchaca kisses your hand. He is well, and sends the enclosed to his wife. Don Fernando and all the rest who had gone off to be present at the battle are back in London, and Don Fernando himself is in excellent health.

The King is sending a letter by this courier to Luis Sarmiento, and I asked him to do so in order that the courier might be sent the more speedily. Ruy Gómez tells me that his Majesty wishes you to have a boat placed at his disposal so that he may return without delay.

Holograph. Spanish.