Knox to Sir William Cecill
1559.
KNOX TO SIR WILLIAM OECILL.
(57 established aue Counsall; but sudJanlie to discharge this anthorite till that ye and we be fully accorded, it is not thought heir expedient. We hartlie desyr that the Counsall use with us playnes and simplicite in all thingis, and the sam, togyther with suich Constance as flesh may promise, we hoip in God ye shall find in us, for our interpreses be suich that we think that thai audit justlie to delyver us from all suspitioun of any doubilness, without farther pledge to be requyrit for performaunce of our promise.
We thocht not good to troubill the Queues Majestic with our other lettres, becaus of our former we have received no ansuer.
Thus not molested you with longer wTitting, we bid you hartie weal to faire in the Lord.
From Glasgow, the xiij of Auguste 1559.
Your loofing and assured freindis, in the name of the rest, AbP. Eegill.
James Sanctandrewes.
To the ryght WorshipfuU Sir William Oicill, cheaf Secretarie to the Queues Majestic.
XXVII.
Knox to Sir William Cecill.
DowBLE impediment I had, ryght Wirshipfull, that I did not vesitt yow according to your expectatioun.
Formar, no signification of your mynd and pleasour was maid unto me in that behalf, for only did Sir Hary Percie will me to com and speak him, which convenientlie att that tym I could not do, be reason the Frenche men (which wes the Second and cheaf caus of my stay) did then most furiuslie persew us whill our companye (the only Lordes, and thair quiet housholdis excepted) was dispersed.
And then durst 1 not be absent for diverss inconvenientis; neather did I think my presence with you greatlie necessary, considdering that the mater which long I had
LETTERS, ET(^
1559. tlirusted, was opened and proponed by those after wliom it becnmeth me not to speak.
To whom wold God ye had send an answer mor plane and nior especiall ; for, albeit that Mr.
Whitlaw, in liis creditt, Mr. Kyrkcaldy, by his letter, and I, asweall by your letter as l:)y that which I had learned of Sir James Croftis, did declayr and affirm your good myndis towardis tliam and thare support ; y it could not som of the Coiuisall
(those I mean of greatest experience) be otherwiess persuaded, Imt that this alteratioun in Fraunce had altered 3'our formar purposs; becaus the favour which we thrie do bear to England is not unknown to our country men, we hartlie desyr of you, that your favouris and good myndis may rather appear to the Counsall by your owen writeingis than by any creditt committed till any of us.
The case of these gentlemen standest thus :
That onles without delay money be furnessed to pay thare soldartis (who in number ar now but 500) for thare service bipast, and to retean an other thousand footmen, mth thre hundreht horsmen for a tym, thei wilbe compelled every man to seek the nixt way for his owen saiftie.
I am assured (as fiesche Imay be of fiesche) that som of tliame will tack a verrey hard lief, befor that ever thei compon, eyther with the Queen Regent, eyther yit with Fraunce.
But this I dar not promess of all, onless in you thei see greatter fordwardnes to thare support.
To ayde iis so liberallie as we requyr, to som of you will appear excessive, and to displease Fraunce, to many will appear daungerus.
But, Sir, I hope that }'e considder that our destructioim war your greatest loss, and that when Fraunce shalbe our full maisteris (which God avert), thei wilbe but slender freindis to you.
I hard Bouttencourt^ brag in his creditt, after he had delivered his manassing letteris to the Priour, that the King and his Counsall wold s])end the Croun of Fraunce, TliP Siciir dc Bcttancuurl had receutly arrived as Ambassador tVciii the Frencli Court.
1559.
KNOX TO SIR WILLIAM CECILL.
tJ9 onles tliei had our full obedience :
I am assured, that onles thei had a farther respect, thei wold not buy our povertie att that price.
Thei laul)our to corrupt som of our great men by money, (and som of our nomber ar so poore, as before I wraite, that without support thei can not serve) ; some thei threatten, and against otheris thei have rased up a party in thare owen contrey.
In this mean tym, yf ye ly as neutralles, what wilbe the end ye maye asily conjecture.
Som of the counsall, immediatlie after the sight of your letters, departed, not weell appeased.
The Erie of Argyle is gon to his countrey for putting ordour to the sam, and myndeht schortlie to return with his forse, yf assurance be had of your support.
And liekwyss will the gentilmen j in these lowe partes putt tham selves in readines to interprise the utermost, yf ye will assist witli thame; and therfor, in the bowellis of Christ Jesus, I requyr you.
Sir, to mak plane answer what thei may lippen^ to, and att what tym there support shalbe in readines (how daungerus is in the drift of "tym, in such materis, ye ar not ignorant).
It was much mervaled that the Quens Majestie wraite no maner of ansuer, considdering that hir Graces father^ (the most noble and most redowbeted of his tym) disdayned not, lovingly to write to men fewar in nomber, and far inferiour in authoritie and power, then be these that wraite to hir Grace.
Ansuer was maid, that hir Father being established of long tym in authoritie, being also feared, loved, and fuUie obeyed of his subjectis and consall, myght suddanlie have done many thingis daungerus to liir Grace to interprise.
And this did satisfye som, but not all.
It is thought verrey necessare that ye confort the Maister of Maxwell with your favorable writeingis, for his assistaunce may greatlie promot this cause.
Most humblie desiring you faythfullie to trawall that Christ Jesus l)y his word may assuredlie conjoine the '
" May lippen to," may trust. hides to tlie correspondence nf Henry =* " Grace's Father."
Mr.
Tytler the Eighth with the murderers of the thinks that Knox here " evidently alCardinal Beaton."
LETTERS, ETC.
1559. liartes of those whom Sathan long hath dissevered, I imfeauedlie committ you to the protectiouu of the Omnipotent.
From Sanctandrews, the 15 of August 1559.
Youris to command in godlines, John Knox.
Haist ansuer of the former Articles, for we have great nead of confort att this present.
Yf ye lose liartes of those that be heir, ye may perchaunce after feal that now ye fear not.
Laubour (yf ye think expedient) my licence to preache; fear Duresme nocht, and by that meanes ye shall know mor of my mynd.
Grace be with you ever.
This other lettre is to be send to the gentilman from whom we receave advertismentis out of Fraunce; the ambassadour knoweht him.
To the right wdrshipfuU Sir William Cicell knyght, cheaf Secretarie to the Quenes Majestic, be thes delivered in hast.
XXVIII.
Sir James Croft to Knox.^ I HAVE recyved your lettres, with others addressed to Mr.
Cecil, which I have depeched unto him.
Assone as any answer of the same shalbe retourned, you shall understonde it.
And forasmoche as before tharrj^all of your messenger here, I understode that Sir Eafe Sadler was specially directed hither from the courte for these affayres, I thought good to stay your saide messenger untill his arryvall; for that I thought to have som good matier whereof to advertise yoix.
And now the saide Sir Eafe is here presently, who, and I also, w^olde be glad to have som conference eyther with Mr. Henry Balnaves, or som other
' The handwriting is Sir Ralph Sadler's.
1559.
SIR R. SADLER AND SIR J. CROFT TO CEOILL.
discrete and trusty mau, for the better exx^edicion of this grete and weightie busyness which you have in haude
; wheruppon you shall understonde how moche your cause is tendered, and also, I trust, receyve such comforte as shalbe to your good contentacion.
And if Mr.
Balnaves, or wliosoever shall com, it shalbe best that he com by sea to Holy Ilande, there to remayne quyetly with Capitayn Eede, till I may be advertised of his arryvall there, and thereuppon I shall take order for his conveyance hither, in suche secret maner as the case doth requyre.^ August 20th, 1559.
XXIX.—SiK Ealph Sadler and Sir James Croft TO Cecill.
It may like you to understonde, that upon th' arryvall here of me, Sir Eafe Sadler, we have conferred togither upon this secrete affayree, which it liathe pleased the Queues Majestic to committe unto us ; and considering the state and perplexitie therof, albeit we cannot judge what is to be hoped for certenty at their hands whom we have to do withall,^ yet we thinke it good polycie, that if they may be by any meanes incouraged and comforted to folowe their enterprises, the same be not neglected on our parts.
And therfore, thinking it not amisse ^ The Editor ef Sadler's State Papers Quenes Majestie, my saide Sovereign, says :
The first copy was worded as doth tender tlieir cause, and also shall follows, but is now crossed out—" To receyve such comforte at her hands, as be addressed hither by see to Holy thereby they shall well percyve that she
Island, from the Lords, with som indoth no lesse tender their cause then structions from the Lords of the Conthey themselfs do, and woll do as moche gregation of their mynds, and intents, for the furtheraunce of the same godly how they intende to proceede, with action as she well may with her honour, whom we may conferre what is to be and as the equyte of their cause redon in this greate and weightie busyquireth." ness, which they have in hande, where-
j^^^ ^y^g hands of the Scottish nobles uppon they shall understonde by the associated for the cause of religion, said Sir Eafe and me, how ernestly this known as the Lords of the Congregation.
LETTERS, ETC.
1559. that they might uuderstonde of th' anyvail of me, the saide Sir Eafe : Forasmoch as at my commyng hither here was a secret messenger sent from Knox, I, Sir James Crofts, have by him signefied the same by my lettres unto the said Knox, wishing that Mr. Henry Balnaves, or some other discrete and trustie man, might repayre in such secret maner, and to such a place, as I have apoynted here, to th' intent we might conferre with him touching their affayrees, supposing that shortly we shall receyve som answer in that parte, wherof we shall advertise you with such spede as the case shall require.
And uppon further consideracion of this matier, it semeth unto us, that nothing might more advaunce the same then the presence of th' Erie of Arrayn, in Scotland, who shoulde have more estymacion there then his father,-^ and shoulde be well hable to take the matier in hande, if his father wolde refuse ; wherefore it were no evill polycie to haste him thither.
For albeit the Duke hath withdrawen himself from the Eegent's n partie, yet is he not so fully inclyned to thothers devocion as ' ^ they desire ; albeit they have good hope of the same.
It seemeth they make litle or none accompt of the French power which is looked for out of France, wishing that the same
/ shoulde rather com then not ; for, as the nomber can not be greate, so thinke they, that the same shoulde so stirre and irritate the herts of all Scottish men, as they wolde holly and firmely adhere and sticke together, wherby their power shoulde so increase, as they shoulde be well able both to expell the French out of Scotlande, and also the better achieve the rest \ of their hole purpose.
In which case, as I, Sir James Crofts, 1 understonde by Knox, they woll require ayde of the Queues I Majestic, for th' enterteynemente and wagis of xv*' (1500) arquebusiers, and iij'' (300) horseman, which, if they may have, then '
" Tlie feeble and vacillating dispotemptible, in sjiite of Ins higli rank and sition of the Duke of Chatelherault, of relation to the Crown."
{Note by Sir which ho showed so many instances Walter Scott.) when governor, had rendere<l him con-
1559.
SIR R. SADLER AND SIR J. CROFT TO CECILL.
Fraunce (as Knox sayeth) shall sone iinderstonde theyre myiids.
And if any such ayde shalbe required, albeit we thinke it not good, we intende not to answer them, so as they shalbe without liope thereof, yet wolde we be glad to understonde the Queues
Majestie's pleasure in that parte, wishing, if it may be loked for, that any good effect shall folow, that her Majestie shoulde not, for the spending of a grete dele more then the charge of their demande amounteth unto, pretermitte such an oportunyte.
And to say our poure mynds unto you, we see not but her Highnes must be at some charge with them, for of bare words onely, though they may be comfortable, yet can they receyve no comforte.
The bestowing of ij or iij'" (2000 or 3000) crownes to relieve them, which have susteyned grete losses, and spent, as we understonde, in maner all they had in this matier, now to incourage them to do somewhat, and if the same be well spent, a grete dele more cannot but be well employed ; and if such effect do not follow thereof as we desire, her highness must accompte that she hatlie cast so moche into the see, the losse whereof may be easily born and recovered ; and eyther must her Majesty adventure the losse of money amongst them, or ells leave them to themselfs, for we see not that the meane can serve the turne in this parte.
Thus be we bolde to expresse our poure mynds, as men desirous to do our dueties in thys service, which we shall attende to thuttermost of our witts and power
: beseeching you to let us be often advertised and instructed from tyme to tyme, of the Queues Majesties pleasure. And that we may also understonde, as the case shall require, of such advertisements as ye shall have out of Fraunce, from tyme to tyme, wherupon we may the better direct and frame our doings here in this service.
August 20th, Anno 1559.