<P_303>

<heading:edcomment:CXIX>

M=r= Edmondes . Vntill this very day wee haue not heard one worde of
yo=w= since your departure , w=ch= kept vs in douptfulnes of your
safetie till by your letter bearing date the xix=th= of this moneth her
may=tie= receaved full and ample satisfaccon for as much as concerned
your owne proceadinge only (RCECIL-E2-H,303.3)

that w=ch= yo=w= wrytt concerning the Truce , or Peace , did not so
clearely make mencion of the partyculer point , whether her may=tie=
should be by the agreament betwene them comprehended in the same or noe
, as by a letter from Mo=r= Villeroy it appeareth , wherin he wrote to
Mo=r= ffontaine w=th= theis wordes . (RCECIL-E2-H,303.4)

Yo=w= maie let the Queene knowe , <paren> for I speake it not by
hearesay </paren> that her may=tie= is comprehended by the assent of
the Spaniard into the Treatie , (RCECIL-E2-H,303.5)

and therefore yo=w= shall do well in y=e= next to wryte what yo=w=
heare , althoughe I doupt not before the arryvall of this ,
(RCECIL-E2-H,303.6)

but wee shall heare more by the personne that the kinge sendes hither .
(RCECIL-E2-H,303.7)

The present occasion of this dispatche is shortly this .
(RCECIL-E2-H,303.8)

This very day advertysement is come to the Queene of the ffleet of
Spaine w=ch= is issued from fferoll and the Groyne the viij=th= of this
moneth beinge sayle w=th= souldyers Maryners and many Mylls for Corne ,
many woemen , horse and many Materyalls for ffortificacon~s .
(RCECIL-E2-H,303.9)

That this is no ffable yo=w= may advertyse the king , that a small man
of warre of England being at sea fell into their company in y=e= night
in a storme , and seing one of their small shippes in distres to the
Leewarde , bare vp w=th= her , fought w=th= her , and tooke her ;
(RCECIL-E2-H,303.10)

but after he had possessed her , and thought to beare for Ingland ,
some of the ffleet chased her , (RCECIL-E2-H,303.11)

and so she was forced to let her goe , (RCECIL-E2-H,303.12)

but tooke out seaven men of her , the Cap=en= , the master , and others
, whose examinacon~s being taken at Plymmothe , was sent vp this day ,
and contayneth what before I spoke of , and that their Rendes vous was
to come for ffalmoth . (RCECIL-E2-H,303.13)

This being certaine that at sea thay were mett , and it appearing fully
, that but for the east wyndes w=ch= haue blowen straynably , they had
ben at their Place of descent , hath given her may=tie= iust cause to
looke about her , having nowe no ffleet in readynes to fight w=th=
<P_304> them at Sea , but $o {COM:material_obliterated} trust to the
land defence , (RCECIL-E2-H,304.14)

And therefore she lytle doupteth {COM:material_obliterated} king wyll
in any sort myslyke the sodden revocacon~ of the Troupes of Pycardy to
serve herselfe . (RCECIL-E2-H,304.15)

ffor this is of all certentye , (RCECIL-E2-H,304.16)

ether it is for Irelande or Englande , (RCECIL-E2-H,304.17)

yf for Englande , then are wee to doupt the taking in of the Army of
the Lowe Contreys to be transported , w=ch= <paren> as it falleth out
</paren> need not feare ffraunce if the Truce be made as all the world
sayes it is , and as shrewd circumstances discover :
(RCECIL-E2-H,304.18)

ffor wee see the Car=all= hath lost Amyens , followes not Count Mawryce
, but keepes his fforces togeither and nowe soddenly drawes them downe
to the sea syde . (RCECIL-E2-H,304.19)

This her may=tie= Requires yo=w= to lay feelinglie before the king , as
Reasones sufficient to dispence w=th= her Revocacon~ , the Erle of
Essex having most of her ma=tes= Cap=ens= in y=e= voyag , and theie
being fitt to be imployed in this kingedome , if he should attempt y=e=
Ile of Wight or any Place nere the harte of the kingdome .
(RCECIL-E2-H,304.20)

This being all at this tyme w=ch= my leasure will permytt me to wryte
exspecting howerly to heare of their arryvall if the storme haue not
forced them to their owne coast againe . (RCECIL-E2-H,304.21)

And so I commytt yo=w= to God . (RCECIL-E2-H,304.22)

ffrom y=e= Cort at Whithall (RCECIL-E2-H,304.23)

the xxvj=th= of Oct. at xj=en= in y=e= night . (RCECIL-E2-H,304.24)

Your louing frend Ro: Cecyll . (RCECIL-E2-H,304.25)

Yf they be gone for Ireland they fynd it at an evyll tyme ,
(RCECIL-E2-H,304.26)

for the Noble Lo: Burghe is dead of Sycknes the xiiij=th= of this
moneth . (RCECIL-E2-H,304.27)

<P_320>

<heading:edcomment:CXXV>

M=r=. Edmondes : It is no highe tyme That I do certifie yo=w= of the
receipt of all yo=r= packetts <paren> whereof I receaved iiij=or= dated
in October and Nouember and two in december </paren> And that her
may=tie= is very well satisfied w=th= yo=r= proceadinges .
(RCECIL-E2-H,320.30)

What Mons=r= de Maisse had to propounde yo=w= knowe well enoughe
(RCECIL-E2-H,320.31)

and therefore I need not touche it : (RCECIL-E2-H,320.32)

But in short this yo=w= shall knowe . That the States refuse Treatye ,
desire the Queene to stoppe her eares to it , and doe send to Roane
deputies to meet the king or his ministers whom they hope also to
overcome w=th= infaylible argum=tes= , and to moue him to contynue in a
warre , rather than to make peace ; (RCECIL-E2-H,320.33)

Her May=tie= therefore being desirous to heare howe thinges are carryed
there , and to see howe the kinge digesteth this their refusall will
send over also some deputies , to ioyne in Conferrence w=th= the kinges
Mynisters and theirs , to the intent that as they are all in a Bande of
Confederacy , so they may ioyntly resolue ether to giue eare to Treatye
, or to provyde <P_321> for warres contynuance , and then each other
open , what one party will have of an other and howe they are able to
performe it , or to hold it out (RCECIL-E2-H,321.34)

W=th= this Resolucion Th'embassadour is lyke to come away , w=ch= is
the sowndest and most necessary ; (RCECIL-E2-H,321.35)

ffor to treat w=th= Spaine before this Conferrence , were not in good
proporcion , (RCECIL-E2-H,321.36)

but because he hath not yet had this aunswere giuen him , yo=w= may
make vse of it only as yo=r= discrecion shall serve yo=w= .
(RCECIL-E2-H,321.37)

Other thinges for the present I haue not worthy yo=r= knowledge
(RCECIL-E2-H,321.38)

but do rest assuredly . Yo=r= loving freinde Ro: Cecyll .
(RCECIL-E2-H,321.39)

from the Lowe Contryes comes Monsr. Barneuelt and Mons. Justynian
Nassau . (RCECIL-E2-H,321.40)

from England as yet , it is not knowen who . (RCECIL-E2-H,321.41)

from y=e= Cort at Whithall (RCECIL-E2-H,321.42)

the xxxj=th= of decem. 1597 . (RCECIL-E2-H,321.43)

31 December 1597 (RCECIL-E2-H,321.44)

from M=r= Secretarie . (RCECIL-E2-H,321.45)

To my very Lovinge freinde M=r= Thomas Edmondes Esq=r= her Ma=ties=
Agent w=th= the frenche kinge . (RCECIL-E2-H,321.46)