CP 152, 112

From Waalt

CP Volume 152 Folio 112

HMC Volume 1 Page 203 Number 658

Haynes Page 280 Number 265

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

8 April 1560 The Spanish Ambossadour's Declaration to Sir Francis Knollys

From a Minute of Sir Francis Knollys, indors'd by Secretary Cecill.

THE Ymbassadore saythe, King Phylyp his Master allowethe welle that the Qwene hathe stoude uppon hyr garde: And to thende the Qwene myght have hyr Realme in Saffetye, owte of the Dawnger of the Franche, and that the Matters myght be so composed in Skotland, that the Rebells myght be chastened, and yet this Realme owte of alle Dawnger, therfore hathe his Master sent hym to be a Mediator betwene the Frenche King and hyr Hyghnes, for a good Conclusyon of Peace, and for Reformation of all Injuries: But fyndyng contrary to his Expectatyon, that the Quene's Armye is alredye entred into Skotland, wherby he cannot procede accordyng to the Tenor of Ymbassage, he therfore reqwyreth the Qwene to revoke hyr Armye, or to abstayne from Force forty or fifty Dayes, untyll he maye advertyse his Master, and receyve furder of his Pleasure in this behalffe. And the Ledger furder affyrmethe, that his Master woll not leave the Frenche Destytute of his Ayde to the chastenyng of the Rebells in Skotland, yf so be the Qwene do take parte with the Rebell there: Unto the which aforesayd Reqwest they therfore reqwy spedye Answerr. The Effecte of this Answer (I suppose) must be: That syns the Qwene's Highnes, can not eschewe the ymmynent Dawnger of the Frenche, (that hathe not onely kleamed the Ryght, and used the Armes, Tytle and Style of hyr Crowne and Realme, but hathe also indyrectly, by sekyng the Conqwest of Skotland, and bryngyng his great Forces therinto, gone the onely Waye abowte, to accomplyshe his wycked Desyre of the Conqwest of this hyr Realme of Yngland) unles the French aforesayd eyther by fayre Meanes do remove theyr Force, or els that by Force they may be removed from Skotland; (whyche Force mayntayned there is the onely Waye for the Frenche to put this Realme in Dawnger of Conqwest bye:) syns, I saye, that otherwayes than by removyng of this Force, the Qwene's Hyghnes can not eschewe the ymmynent Dawnger of the Frenche, therfore she can by no Meanes thynk, eyther that she hathe done unjustlye in sendyng hyr Forces into that Realme, or that it ys mete for hyr Hyeness to revoke hyr Force owte of Skotland, unles the Frenche shall remove theyr Natyon, that are Men of Warre, also from thens, uppon the dewe acknolegyng by the sayd Skottes of theyr Allegens unto theyr Qwene, and to hyr Husband the Frenche Kyng also, in hyr Ryght; whych Thyng hathe ben offerd alredye to the Frenche Ymbassadors, and partly by theym thowght resonable. And unles it myght appere, that the Frenche had ruled in Skotland accordyng to the Decrees and Compacts made betwene these two Realmes, and that the Skottes had rebelled or resisted, withowte Injurie or Breache of Compactes offered unto theym, we suppose and hope that the Kyng Katholyke wolle not assyste, and ayde the Frenche to the Chastysement and Bondage of the Skotts, and to the satyssying of the unsatyable Desyer of the Frenche, that therby seekethe the Conqwest of this Realme. - But rather we trust that the Kyng Katholyke woll helpe to staye the gredynes of the Frenche, to the Conservatyon of the Skottes in theyr Freedome and Lybertie, syns the Crowne of Skottland owght to retorne to the mere Skottishe Nation, yf the Quene dye withowt Yssue, as hetherto she hathe none; and syns this Realme shalbe in dawnger of Conqwest, yf the Skotts shalbe browght into Bondage by Conqwest of the Frenche.