BL La 102, 27

BL MSS Lansdowne 102, 27
Wright: Queen Elizabeth and her Times Vol 1, 1838, No. 49 Page 116
Cecil to Sir Thomas Smith. Dec. 14, 1562

Transcribed by Thomas Wright

Sir, although my leasur be small, that I am constrayned not onely to wryte to you the Queue's Majestie's letters, but also to all other parts, yet I will not leave to thank you for your private letters, praying you so to continew. That which my Lords here do fynd lack in, is that you kepe not a contynuation in the order of your newes ; as by your letters of the 29th of November, it appered that the prince lay in sege at Corbell, and by those of the seventh of this moneth it appereth that he was nere Pariss : but how he left Corbell is not wrytten. And we here have reports that Monsieur D'Aubmale was taken prisoner, but beyng not wrytten by you I do not beleve it.
Beside this, you wryte that D'Andelott should be still syck at Orleans, and Mr. Throkmorton wryteth that he was one of them with whom the treaty was had at Pariss. I marvell also that Mr. Throkmorton did not certify you what articles or conditions he offered to the prince.
You wryte of three thousand Spaniards newly arryved at Pariss ; but from whence they cam appereth not. So as you see how in playne manner I wryte to you, praying you to interprete me to the best ; for though I thus wryte to yourself, yet I doo not leave you unexcused here. By the letters which Killegrew's man brought 1 trust you are playnely instructed what to doo, and at this present I send unto you a copy of a letter from my Lord of Warwyk, by which ye shall understand of an accident there happened. Thereof you may also inform Mr. Throkmorton. I thynk best that Mr. Throkmorton huld make no haste from the prynce.
We are fully bent to kepe Newhaven, by God's grace, against all France.
Sir Hugh Paulett (1) is gone to Newhaven only to assist my Lord of Warwyk. We have sent three old bands from Barwyk to come to Newhaven. We have there six thousand soldiers and three moneths victuals, and so will continew the victualling.
The whole perill is in that the nomber of the Frenchmen are ther so many, which we cannot gett thence without gret unkyndnes. But if the prynce there shall sever from us, we must be bold to put them out.
Herewith I send you letters to be conveyed to the prince from Monsieur La Haye here, where unto it is requyred that you will procure them some answer, and so for this tyme I end. 14th December, 1562.
Your assured to command,

W. Cecill

Three shipps of Feckham, laden with wynes from Bur- deaux, sett upon a little shipp of the Queue's, called the Hare, passing from Portsmouth to Newhaven, but the Hare tooke one of the doggs, with a hundred tun of wyne (2).
The French ambassador may perchance complayn that his curriors are stayed at Dover, which groweth uppon this. Of late he complayned that they wer evill used uppon the way thitherward. And we for remedy devised that whensoever he wold send any, he shuld have either my letter, or Sir John Mason’s (3). And now he is not so contented, but wold send without our knowledg, which we care not to relent, so your passengers might be as curtously used, and pass without passport.

(1) According to Stowe, Sir Hugh Pawlett, in company with the Comte Montgomery, arrived at Newhaven on the 17th December.
(2) On the 25th of November, says Stowe, "the Queene's ship called the Hare, comming from Portsmouth, arryved at Newhaven, and in her came Sir John Portinarie, a man of great experience in fortification ; they were by the way assayled by a French ship of ninetie tuns and better, but they that were aboord the Hare vanquished the enemies, tooke the same ship, and brought her with them, being laden with wines "
(3) Sir John Maston was born at Abingdon, in Berkshire, had been a distinguished courtier in the reigns of Henry VIII. and Edward VI., and was treasurer of the household to Queen Elizabeth, and Chancellor of the University of Oxford. He died, according to Fuller, in 1566. Camden calls him vir gravis atque eruditus.