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To the right honorable the
Countes of Shrevesbury
this at Tutbury or
wheare./
1568 2 Ianuary
To the Countess
221
My moost humble duetie remembred vnto your honorable good
.L.ady yf it were not for my bounden duetie sake, I wolde be Lothe
to write, by cause there is so smale certaynetie in occurrency
but seing I am bounde to write; it is but smale that I see
with my owne eyes, that is worthe writing; and therefore
I am forced to supplye by that I do heare; which I write
as I heare by credeble reporte; other wyse I sholde not
write at all; and therefore, if I do erre, it is pardonable.
The newes is heare that my Lord your husband is sworne
of the Privie Counsell; and that the Scotishe quene is
in her iorney to Tutbury, something against her will,
and shalbe vnder my Lordes custody there.
There is an Ambassator comme out of the Lowe countryes,
from the duke of Alva, who is in custody (as the other
is) and is not yet permitted to say his message; and sithens
his arryvall is there .iij. postes comme from thence .ij.
strangers and one Inglishe, whose lettres are taken and
sente to the courte; and thei committed to custody;
The reporte is that the duke of Alva hathe for the
Lacke of mony disarmed the moost parte of his army; and thei
be not payede for that is paste, but robbeth and steleth
and much molestethe the contrye; and being divers garisons
at mastricke of the Wallons, the duke sent to dischar=ge them, and sent Spaniardes in their places, who
hathe shutte the gates of the Spaniardes and refuseth
to deliver the towne before thei be payd their due.
The saing is that now the new King of Sweden
and the King of Denmarke being frendes; thei haue
set out the duke of Holste with a good power of
suche soldiers bothe horsemen and footemen as thei may
well spare in bothe their realmes in time of peax
to the nomber of .vj.ml horsemen and .xx.ml footemen to ayde
the Prince of Orange; which is affirmed by suche
credible persons as commethe from thence.
I do heare that M.aster Gorge is comme out of Hungary and
passing by fflanders was taken prisoner, and put to his
ransom if it fawle out warre. and M.aster Arther hall
is also returned from Connstantinople.
In ffraunce there is great sturre to let the Prince of
Connde to ioyne with the Prince of Orange, so that the
Kinge devydeth his force. The duke of Anioy to stop
the passage of the Prince of Conde; and the King is ma=king power against the Prince of Orange, and the
duke of Swebrugh which be alredy ioyned on monday
was fortenet; The King is muche trobeled in pointing
his generall against the Prince of Orange; for yat
the duke of Alva offereth the King greate ayde and
frendshipp if he will make duke Domale his gene=rall; and the .iiij. marshalles of ffraunce doth resiste
it; in so muche as Monsieur Momerancy the chife of the
.iiij. standeth vpon his garde in the duke of Anioyes
campe, and Damvile his brother a other of the .iiij.
standeth of his garde in the Kinges campe, who
by right oughte to haue the bading of the army
but by cause thei be cosen Germans to the Admirall
thei be mistred and denyd the place; which semethe to
be no smale discontentement to the King.
There came a post out of ffraunce of Saterday last
an other of Munday and an other of Wedinsday; by him
of Saterday it is reported he broughte worde that the
Prince of Conde hade sente the great M.aster of the horse
to the King with this message; and covenantes of peax
that is to say, yf he wolde deliver his mother in to their
handes, to banishe the howse of Guyse quyte out of
ffraunce, and to permitte and pupulishe through the
dominions of all ffraunce the religion; et cetera on this
condition he was contented to harken to peax; for that
he is and ever hath bine more inclined to peaux
than to warre, if he colde by any reasonable meanes
optayned it.
223
which hitherto he colde never optayne; for he never was desirous
to revenge any private iniuryes, or at this present requirethe
it; but godes quarrell and the publike welthe; and
therefore if the King refuse this offer of peaux, he
will (god permitting) comme to paris before the last
day of marche nexte and reason the matter in the
great pallece in paris; with .xxx.ml horsemen and .lx.ml
footemen; but what message the king returned
agayne I do not heare, nor what the post
broughte to the courte of Monday and yesterday, but
there is brutes heare that bothe quene mother
and the cardinall of Lorayne be both taken in the
same trappe that thei thoughte to haue taken the
prince of Conde and the Admirall with, yf this be
true it wilbe certaynely knowen by my nexte
lettres. And thus god longe preserue my lord and your
good .L.adyship and sende that the lyers sons maryage take
no place, that the wrathe of god falle not of
the howse of Shrevesbury by the same; as the lyke
hathe fallen of other noble howses; that can never
be withdrawen to the vtter spoile; for the iniquitie
of that caterpillar his father cannot be chosen but
to lighte to his issue; for yf my Lord mary with him
his .L.ordship must maintayne all the wronges that
he hath committed; for that he hathe orderly and
iustly gotton; is a smale porsion; for suche a noble
Lady, seing he is not lyke to encrease it by nauther
pollicy wit nor vertue nor any other good qualitie
but only by fortune which is but a smale certaynetie to
trust vnto. I heare M.aster Haynes dothe vse me frendly in
very good wordes to my frendes; it is for your .L.adyship's sake and there=forr I trust your .L.adyship will not forget him with your thankes as
occasion may serue, and so eftsons Iesus preserue you and sende my
cosen ffraunces a good happe, and your honor a glad good mother
scribeled at London the xij.th of Ianuary,
Initial version