CP, 153, 15

From Waalt

CP Volume 153 Folio 15-16

HMC Volume 1 Page 243 Number 760

Haynes Page 335-338 Number 342

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

29 June 1560 Mr. Secretary Cecill and Mr. Wotton, to the Quene's Majestie

From the Original.

YT may please your excellent Majestie. We be right sory that, after so greate a lykelyhood of a good and honorable Peace, it chaunceth otherwise. After the Receipte of your Majestie's Lettres, dated the 24th of June, brought to us on Thursday laste, we pressed the French according to your Majestie's Lettres, as well to procure by Proclamation the defacing of your Stile and Armes used in France, as to obtayne eyther the Contynuance of the Treaty, as yt now is betwexte your Majestie and the Nobilitie of Scotlande, or the Substance therof, tending to the Preservation of Scotlande in Libertie from Conqueste. To neyther of theise they wolde be by any Meanes brought; alledging for the first, that they could not alter any Worde from that, which for that Purpose they had before offred, and sent to the King theyr Master, (wherof we sent to your Majestie a Copye) untill they might have Answear from the King by Monsieur de Bueil; and to the seconde, they had precise Commandement not to meddle with that Treaty, but to passe yt over. And after long Debate on both Partes, and fynally with our greate inward Greefe, we wear forced to breake of, and made semblance of departure out of this Countrey. The nexte Daye we for our Parte moste desyrous of Peace, and seeking to strayne our Charge, offred to them for the first Poynte, to referre the Matter of the defacing by Proclamation, to a new Treaty, according to your Majestie's Lettre: For the seconde Poynte towching the League with Scotlande, we devised two sondry Articles, which we send heerwith, the first signed A, the second B; and none of those wolde be accepted, using still to us therfor theyr first Answear. After this, the Bishop sent to us his Secretary with a Sentence written in Latin and Frenche also, the Copy wherof is noted with C, sayeng, that to confirme the whole Treaty wear not reasonable, but yf there weare any Articles in the same, tending to the weale of bothe the Realmes, they might be inserted in our Treaty. Herupon we collected a Summary of Articles out of the sayde Treaty, and formed them meete to be inserted in our present Treaty, which we sent to them; and those they muche myllyked: The Copy wherof is herwith sent noted thus, D. And thus being tryfled withall, we weare yet for love of Peace contented to accepte their owne Sentence, which they also denyed, using som impudency therin, sayeng it was but the Bishop's Opinion and Wryting, and not Monsieur de Randan's. This handling was not well to be allowed by us for your Majestie's Honour. But yet for Love of Peace and sparing of Blud, I the Secretary yesterday in the Morning, being Sonday, met with the Bisshop a Parte, and debated the Matter as paciently as might be: In the End I pressed him thus muche, that there might be a mutuall Defence of bothe the Realmes betwexte your Majesties, and the same confirmed by Acte of Parlement bothe of Englande and Scotlande. This he seemed to allowe, and sayde, he wolde conferre with Randan, and wold therupon draw an Article after his Fantasye: And I promised to doo the like with Mr. Wotton; and so I did, which is the Article noted with E. and being ready to send it him, he sent his Secretary to me, prayeng me to looke for no Wryting, for Monsieur de Randan wold not in any wyse agree therto: Yet neverthelesse I sent myn unto him. Wherunto he sent me answeare, that nether Monsieur de Randan, nor he, coulde but like yt very well, and thought it very convenient for bothe the Realmes; but they saide, they hadno Authoritie to make any suche new League. And upon a Motion made by the Bishop, I was contente once agayne to speake a Parte with him, and tolde him that, so they wolde privately with Subscription of their Hands avowe their Opinions, and adde for excuse lacke of Authoritie therto, I wolde take yt; so as they wolde go throughe with all the Reste of the Articles, which wear penned by us in Latin. He allowed this very well, sayeng, that we neede not thus muche seeke the Conservation of the League with Scotlande, for they had allready accorded to us an Article, wherby the Frenche King and Queene shulde confirme and ratifye the Treaty now made betwexte them and the Scotts. And indeede he spak therin truely; and the having of that Article, made Mr. Wotton and me to shrink as we did from the other, for by that Article the Libertie of Scotland shulde be well and sufficiently provided for; which was the Purpose of the other Requeste. Than he prayed me to delyver him the Latin Articles, because he wolde go shew them to Randan, and I shulde have Answear shortly: Within one Houre after, he sente me Worde, that he coulde not make a speedy Answear, because he was forced to translate them into Frenche for Randan's Understanding, and therfore afore this Morning he coulde not make Answer. This Forenoone he retournithe the Articles with reiection of dyvers reasonable Poynts, and, amongst all, they rejecte the same Article wherunto bothe he and Randan had agreed eight Dayes paste, and of the which the Bisshop Yesterdaye in precise Woords made mention to me the Secretary, as a Thing accorded; which is, touching the Confirmation of the Treaty and Accorde, which they now presently make with the Scotts; the Copie wherof is noted with this Lettre F. To all other theyr Scruples, noted in our Articles, we yelded and bent ourselyes to theyr Bowe, saving in one, wherin we obteyned with greate Difficultie to be confessed in Woords, that the Realme of England and Irelande of Right appartayned to your Majestie; the Copie of which Article is noted G. In which Pointe I your Secretary was moved to excede some Discretion, but not my Duety, and offred in that Quarrell to spend my Blud upon any of them that wolde deny yt: But yet without muche Vehemency and som Threatening yt was not obtayned. Thus all don, saving that Article for the Confirmation, they flatly answeared that they had speciall Instruction, which they offer to shew us, not to mingle Matters of Scotland with Englande in our Treaty, nor to dishonour the King theyr Master with nothing, that he is forced by your Majestie to observe to his Subjects. We offred to putt in a severall Wryting by itselfe out of this Treaty. They wolde not; but with a new Invention they two wolde be bounde privately to us privately, that the French King shulde confirme yt. We said, as true it is, we doubted not of Confirmation, but of keeping, and for that, theyr Bonde coulde not serve. Finally we can no wise get yt, and yet I offred to them that they shulde at theyr Pleasure change the Words, so they wolde kepe the Sence; or yf that lyked them not, we required of them their owne short Sentence noted C; but all our Travayle was in vayne; and we bothe consydering with ourselves, as earnestly and circumspectly as we coulde, what were mete for us to do, we are forced utterly against our Mynds to break of with them, and commit the Matter to the Will of God. For first we cannot leave this Matter at large, without Offence and Breache of your Majestie's Commandement, bothe in our first Instructions, and your Majestie's laste Lettres. Secondarily we see not but this might most likely followe, without this Article obtayned: The Frenche will confirme bothe your Majestie's Treaty, and their own with the Scotts, and by likelyhoode also will keepe the Treaty with your Majestie for a Tyme, and yet will they after a certain Tyme, and that as soone as theyr Things may be ready, break with the Scotts, and bring in an Army upon pretence, (as there will not lacke suche Quarrels) into Scotlande; against which theyr Doings your Majestie cannot than by any parte of your Treaty, lacking this Article which we have now required, doo any thing to impeche the same, as now at this Tyme you have don, upon juste Occasion gyven by them in breaking of your Treaty, by taking your Arms and Stile, &c. From which and like manner Offence towards your Majestie they will politikely abstayne, untill they shall be deeper in with Scotlande, and then will they not, we feare, forbeare any longer, but prosequute with an other Manner of Puissance, this their Purpose against your Majestie, which now, by God's goodnes and your Majestie's Providence, hath bene happely frustrated, and, yf Peace might followe indeede, shall redounde much to your Majestie's great Honour and Quiet, with a sure good Testimony to the Worlde against the Frenche's most false pretenced Title. Thirdly, We doo consyder, that, by lacking of this Article or such like, the Scotts shall be without any comforte of Englande, and therby being left in dispayre shall the sooner be alienated from your Majestie, and so by many Devises the greater Parte recovered agayne to France, to the evident Danger of your Majestie's Kingdom; and that greater, for divers Respects, than presently we will now utter, or molest your Majestie with all. And thus most humbly we beseche your Majestie to take these our Proceding in as good Parte, as our poore Knowledge hath served us, being of all other most sorry that we cannot therin obtayne our Desyres. And whatsoever your Majestie shall thinke mette for us to doo furder, we will to the best of our poor Understanding execute the same, thoughe the Answeare com to us upon the Waye; for presently we be determyned to retourne from hence with them; and herof Knowledge is given to the Duke of Norfolke for his Entrie, which stayeth only upon lacke, that the Treasure is not yet arrived, althoughe we perceave by the saide Duk's Lettres, that yt will be shortly there; marry, as he wryteth (wherof we be sory) no more than will pay the Army, but to this present Daye. Almighty God preserve your Majesty to the utter Confusion of all your Enemies.

29 Junii, The first Offer on Saterday in the Forenoone. A. item CONVENTUM, concordatum & conclusum est, quod nihil eorum, quæ aut in hoc præsenti tractau, aut in tractatu inter dictos Christianiss. Regem & Reginam Mariam & Nobilitatem ac populum Scotiæ de data - & de quibus conventum est, intelligetur aut interpretabitur in præjudicium alterius cuiusdam tractatus, facti & conclusi 27o Februarii ultimo præteriti, and Barwicq inter Thomam Ducem de Norfolk nomine dictæ Serenissimæ Reginæ Elizab. & quosdam nobiles viros regni Scotiæ, sed remanebit dictus tractatus, apud dictam Urbem de Barwick factus, in eodem vigore, robore & statu, in quo erat ante hujus præsentis tractatus inchoationem. This also was offred for a Change. B. item Conventum, concordatum & conclusum est, quod quidam tractatus factus apud Berwick 27 Februarii ultimi, inter Thomam Ducem de Norfolk, nomine Serenissimæ Reginæ Angliæ, & quosdam nobiles viros de regno Scotiæ, nomine Jacobi Ducis de Chastellerault, & reliquorum procerum, secum conjunctorum, pro defensione antiquorum Jurium & Libertatum Scotiæ, remanebit in eodem vigore, robore & statu, in quo erat ante hujus præsentis tractatus inchoationem: Non obstante aliqua clausula, sententia seu articulo in hoc præsenti tractatu, sive etiam in quodam alio tractatu, in hoc præsenti conventu inter deputatos dictæ Christianissimi Regis & Reginæ Mariæ, & proceres ac populum Regni Scotiæ Edinburgi facto & concluso, die, &c. This Article was made by the Bishop, and sent to us in wryting, which we kepe, and yet in the End they will not accept it. C. item Ea foederis pars tantum confirmabitur, quæ spectat ad conservationem libertatis & Jurium utriusque regni Angliæ, & Scotiæ, & utriusque Reginæ Que l'on confirmera ceste partie de la Ligue, en œ qui appartient à conservation de la Liberté & des Droictz des Deulx Royaulmes & des Deux Roynes d'Angleterre & de' Escosse. We have been content to admitt this their own Article, and yet they impudently deny it; the Bishop falsly excusyng hymself by Randall's denyall. These Articlees were formed uppon the Sentence that the Bishop of Vallence sent in wrytyng to us. Conventum, concordatum & conclusum est, quod dicta Serenissima Regina Angliæ, Elizabeth, tantummodo pro conservatione libertatis, jurium & consuetudinum regni, Reginæ, nobilium, & populi Scotiæ, & pro defensione eorundem ab oppressione & conquestu, suscipiet dictum regnum, nobiles, & populum, in suam tuitionem & defensionem, constante hoc matrimonio dictæ Seremissimæ Reginæ Mariæ cum rege Christianissimo, & uno anno integro, dicto matrimonio soluto, nec desistet a tuitione dictorum nobilium & populi Scotiæ, quandiu illi recognoscent dictam Serenissimam Reginam Mariam in supremam illorum Dominam & Reginam, & conabuntur tueri libertatem patriæ & statum dicti regni Scotiæ. Conventum, concordatum & conclusum est, quod dicti nobiles & populus dicti regni Scotiæ, erunt hostes omnibus illis, etiam si qui tales fuerint Scoti, qui se aliquo modo declarabunt hostes adversus Regnum Angliæ, pro auxilio per dictos Anglos jam hoc tempore præstito dicto regno Scotiæ. Conventum, concordatum & conclusum est, quod dicti Nobiles & populus nonquam assentientur neque patientur, quod dictum regnum Scotiæ subjugetur, aut alio modo connectatur Coronæ Franciæ, quam nunc est, per matrimonium dictæ Serenissimæ eorum Reginæ cum dicto Christianissimo rege Francisco, & quam per leges ac libertates dicti regni licet. Conventum, concordatum & conclusum est, quod, si in posterum contingat, quod Franci invadant aut invadi faciant dictum regnum Angliæ, dicta Serenissima Regina Maria, nobiles, & populus dicti regni Scotiæ, dabunt auxilium bis mille Equitum, & mille peditum ad minimum, aut eam partem eorum, quam dicta Serenissima Regina Angliæ postulabit: Quod quidem auxilium, postquam ingressum erit limites regni Angliæ, militabit in quasvis partes regni Angliæ pro defensione dicti regni, sumptibus dictæ Serenissimæ Reginæ Angliæ: Et si Invasio illa facta fuerit in aliquam partem regni Angliæ, a Septentrionali parte fluminis Tyne, aut adversus Urbem Barwicum, a Septentrionali parte fluminis Twedæ, tunc dicti Nobiles & Populus regni Scoticum universis viribus regni, propriis Impensis, conjungent se cum viribus regni Angliæ, & perseverabunt in bona & diligenti prosecutione querelæ dicti regni Angliæ, durante spatio 30 dierum, vel tantò diutius quantò, jussu Regum suorum temporibus præteritis, solebant tenere se in castris, pro defensione dicti regni Scotiæ. Conventum, concordatum & conclusum est, quod obsides iam traditi Illustrissimo Duci de Norfolk, per Illustrissimum Ducem de Chestellerault, & alios nobiles Scotiæ, remanebunt in Anglia pro observatione harum conventionum, per spatium sex mensium numerandorum a primo die quo recepti fuerunt a dicto Illustrissimo Duce de Norfolk; quibus elapsis, mutabuntur totidem aliis, similis status & conditionis, vei qui filii legitimi, fratres, aut heredes Comitum aut Baronum Parliamenti dicti regni Scotiæ fuerint; similisque mutatio fiet post sextum aut quartum quemque mensem, prout dictis nobilibus & consilio dictæ Serenissimo Reginæ Scotiæ in dicto regno Scotiæ visum fuerit; durabitque hæe dandorum obsidum obligatio, constante matrimonio dictæ Seremissimæ Reginæ Mariæ, & unum annum post dissolutionem ejusdem. Item, Conventum, concordatum & conclusum est, quod hi proximi præ cedentes Articuli mutuam tuitionem horum regnorum, Angliæ, & Scotiæ, concernentes, per dictas Serenissimas reginas, & tres status utriusque regni, in proximis dictorum regnorum Parliamentis, respective ratificabuntur & confirmabuntur. These Articles were formed uppon an accord betwixt the Bishop of Vallence and me the Secretary. E. Item, Conventum, concordatum & conclusum est, quod, quo casu invasio aliqua sive invasiones à quocunque fient in regnum Scotiæ, eo casu dicta Serenissima Regina Angliæ tenebitur auxiliares copias dicto regno Scotiæ mittere & dare, pro defensione & conservatione dicti regni, jurium & libertatum ejusdem regni ac status coronæ dictæ Serenissimæ Reginæ Mariæ dicti sui regni Scotiæ. Item, Similiter conventum, concordatum & conclusum est, quod, quo casu invasio aliqua sive invasiones a quocunque fient in regnum Angliæ, eo casu dicti Christianissimi Rex & Regina Maria, nomine dicti Regni Scotiæ, tenebuntur Auxiliares copias dicto regno Angliæ mittere & dare, pro defensione & conservation dicti regni jurium & libertatum ejusdem, ac status coronæ dictæ Serenissimæ Reginæ Elizabethæ dicti sui regni Angliæ. Item, Conventum, concordatum & conclusum est, quod hæc mutua defensio & auxiliorum præstatio in proximis duobus Articulis contenta, durabit quam diu utraque dictarum Serenissimarum Reginarum erit superstes. Item, Conventum, concordatum & conclusum est pro majori securitate utriusque regni, quod hi tres proxime præcedentes Articuli, concernentes mutuam defensionem supradictam, per tres status utriusque regni respective in proximis dictorum regnorum Parliamentis raticabuntur & confirmabuntur. These four Articles they saye, be good and reasonable, but they lack authority to accept them. This is the Article wherunto both Vallence and Randan had accorded, and now in the End they will not accept. F. Item, Conventum, & concordatum est, quod dicti Potentissimi Principes Francisous & Maria, Francorum & Scotorum Rex & Regina, ea omnia & singula, quæ inter dictos ipsorum Deputatos, Dominum Episcopum Valentinensem & Dominum de Randan, nomine dictorum Serenissimorum Principum, nunc in hoc præsenti conventu in quodam tractatu de data - cum Proceribus & populo Scotiæ inito & facto, concordata, concessa & conclusa sunt, intra 50 Dies a Data illius tractatus ratificabunt, ac solenni Juramento præstito, ea, quatenus ipsos aut eorum alterum concernunt, se adimpleturos promittent, eademque fideliter adimplebunt & facient, adimplerique & fieri facient. This Article was stiffly denyed, untill by threatning it was gotten. G. Cum regna Angliæ & Hiberniæ ad dictam Serenissimam Dominam & Principem Elizabetham, jure spectent & pertineant, & proinde nulli alteri se dicere, scribere, nominare, seu intitulare, nec dici, scribi, notificari, aut intitulari, facere, regem, aut Reginam Angliæ, aut Hiberniæ, neque insignibus aut armis vulgariter dictis (Armeyries) regnorum Angliæ aut Hiberniæ, sibi arrogare, aut uti liceat: Idcirco statutum, pactum & conventum est, quod dictus Rex Christianiss. & Regina Maria, & uterque eorum abstinebunt, &c.