BL La 102, 10
BL MSS Lansdowne 102, 10
Wright: Queen Elizabeth and her Times Vol 1, 1838, No. 53 Page 122
Cecil to Sir Thomas Smith. Westminster, Feb. 7, 1562/3
Transcribed by Thomas Wright
Sir, ye shall understand by Mr. Midlemore our estate here. We depend upon the proceedyngs of the two armyes, being so nere Orleance. Flying tales be brought hyther from Depe of battells or fights, but I doo hardely beleeve those reports. Mr. Mydlemore hath abydden here somewhat the longer, for that we perceyved that the French ambassador had receaved letters, and we thought mete to see the issew therof, which proved to nothyng but a demand of the provost of Pariss to be delyvered. Whereunto the Queue's Majestie meaneth to make such an answer as you may perceyve by a copy of the letter now sent, and within two dayes before Mr. Mydlemore's coming, the provost was committed to the Tower, where he is lodged over well, in the Queue's Majestie's owne lodgyng, beyng committed thyther because he used such practises wher he was, as by four or five letters intercepted betwixt hym and others doth appere, and by those letters he avowed that he wold not answer, but wold delaye the matter so as nothynge shuld be gotten at his hand. And by his owne letters it is clerly to be gathered that he is gilty, which letters were partly wrytten with onions, and conveyed to and fro in stoppells of bottells, and some in his coddpieces of his hoose sent out to mendyng ; but he is ignorant therof, that we have his letters.
Capt. de Hayss, the trafficquer for d'Anville, is returned, and pretendeth that d'Anville intendeth to come hyther with conditions for peace, but I guess his comming hyther is but for a passadg into Scotland, where they saye his hart is. We are ware ynough of theire practises ; if they meane well, we will joyne with them : otherwise they shall have words for words.
For your request to have your dietts payd by Sir Thomas Gresham, so it is in trowth that he hath not a penny of the Queue's in his hands, nor hath commission to take upp any, but hath due to hym more then we be redy to paye. I have moved her Majestie as you required to augment your dietts with the odd fraction to make upp even crownes, but I cannot presently attayne it.
Her Majestie heareth not easily any increase of chardg: and yet as I see any opportunite I will renew it. The pardons for three Englishmen which you desyre, are in wrytyng, but I dout how that of Molyneux shall be obteyned, and indede I cannot favor it, for he is one of the notablest theves in England, and hath bene sought for with great expeditions. The other two I trust you may promise.
Mr. Middlemore's coming is of weight, and therefor I pray you wey it thereafter, and devise some wayes to sende hym to place of service, which you there can better devise then we here, and so I wish hym well to spede. Of late on Candlemas daye, the two ambassador's howses were so watched that dyvers mass-mongers not of theire familye were found and taken there: the Spanish is angry, but the other onely pretendeth an anger.
The Erie Bothwell fleing out of Scotland, was taken besyde Tynmouth, wher he is in prison in the castle.
A subsydye is agreed uppon in the commons-house, lyke to the former (1), with this amendment, the grant upon goods is from three pounds, wher the former was five pounds. The heades of both howses are fully occupyed with the provision of suerty to the realme, if God shuld to our plague call her Majesty without leaving of children. The matter is so depe as I cannot reache into it. God send it a good issue, and so I end. From Westminster, the 7th of February, 1562.
Yours assuredly,
W. Cecill
(1) Camden says, that this Parliament " made wholesome lawes for the reliefe of the poore, for matter of the navy, for maintenance and increase of tillage, for punishing of vagabonds, forgers of evidences, clippers, washers, rounders, and filers of money, phantasticall propheciers, conjurors or sorcerers, and perjurers, for translating the Bible, &c Moreover the estates congratulating the happinesse of the times, graunted unto the Queene, for religion reformed, peace restored, England with Scotland freed from the forreine enemy, money refined, the navy renewed, warlike munition by sea and land provided, and for the laudable enterprise in France for the securing of England, and of the young King of France, and the recovering of Calice, they granted (I say) the ecclesiastical men one subsidy, and the laity another, with two fifteenes and tenths. A fifteene and a tenth (that I may note it for forrainers' sakes) is a certaine taxation upon every city, borrough, and towne, not every particular man, but in generall, in respect of the fifteenth part of the wealth of the places. A subsidy we call that which is imposed upon every man, being cessed by the powle, man by man, according- to the valuation of their goods and lands. But neither is this nor the other taxation ever imposed, but by consent of the estates in parliament."
