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Letters and Other Documents
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 February 2010
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- Letters illustrating the relations between England and Germany
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- Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1865
References
a The paper is torn where these omissions occur.
c Agent at Madrid.
d Secretary of State.
page 4 note a Upon the receipt of certain letters from Mr. Cottington to the Lord Digby and Sir Thomas Lake, bearing date the 9th of August, 1618, “signifying how willing that kinge would be that his Matie should interpose himself for the accommodating of the busines of Bohemia, His Majesty commaunded Mr. Secretary Naunton to write to Mr. Cottington that his Matie could be content to employe himself therein so as he might be directly assured that it was a thinge hartely desired by the Kinge of Spayne.”
The 3rd of September “his Matie sendeth the grievances of the Bohemians into Spayne.” —Notes by Sir Robert Naunton, Sept. , 1619. State Papers. Germany.
page 4 note b Ambassador at Turin.
page 5 note a The offer was thankfully accepted. With what views it was received may be judged by the tone of a memoir drawn up by the Margrave of Anspach and the Prince of Anhalt for the instruction of Mansfeld and Dohna, who were to be sent in August on a special mission to the Duke of Savoy. The Duke, they were told, had held out hopes that the Venetians might be induced to arm 16,000 men for the German Protestants, and they were to ask the Duke to do what he could with that object.
“Ils diront aussy à S. A. de Savoye que les intentions pour lesquelles cet armement particulierement pourroit estre employé consisteront en ces trois evenements. Assavoir: 1. Ou pour conservation du fait de Boheme et ce qui en depend. 2. Ou sur un evenement tres considerable d'un Vicariat. 3. Ou pour l'accommodement des gravames des Protestans en l'Empire. Et qu'autrement il ne falloit rien entre-prendre mal à propos et hors de saison. En tous ces trois evenemens il est quasi impossible qu'il u'arrive pas qu'estant armé, on n'entreprene aucunement sur les Ecclesiastiques et la prestraille, non seulement à cause qu'ils sont fort contraires à ce party à [et ?] vrays autheurs des griefs et des augmentations intolerables de l'Empire, mais aussy qu'il seroit impossible de nourir noz gens de guerre sur nos mesme terre, et nous laisser manger d'eux.”—Londorp, Acta Publica, iii. 599.
A separate memoir, apparently kept from the knowledge of the Elector, is still more worth reading:—
“Ils diront à S. A. de Savoye comme tout ce qui a este compris dans le precedent memorial, s'est fait avec l'advis et adveu de S. A. Monseigneur l'Electeur Pal. le quel lesd. deux Princes tiennent fort excusable, que son Altesse ne se declare plus ouvertement. Mais voyans la presente occasion, ils tiennent pour certain, que rien asseurera et certifiera plus l'intention de S. A. de Savoye que l'armement proposé, outre le particulier, dont Monsieur le Comte de Mansfelt a en charge empresse, principalement si cela pourroit estre employe pour obtenir la Couronne de Boheme pour S. A. Palatine encores que les envoyez peuvent asseurer le Due que l'Electeury soit fort peu porté, tant pour son naturel tresmodeste qu'aussi pour les considerations d'estat qui pourront estre representer de bouche. Neanmoins ils pourroyent faire entendre comme les estats de Bohemey sont extremement portez, et que les difficultez pour Ferdinand sont evidents. Si doneques S. A. parvenoit par la seule aide de Savoy à lad. couronne, infalliblement il faudroit reconnoitre le bien-faiteur led. Due de Savoy, et luy estre tant plus obligé joint qu'en tel cas ilauroit moyens et puissance, de la pouvoir faire, ayant deux voix au College des Electeura et y pourroit joindre fort aisement celle de Monseigneur l'Electeur de Brandeburg, qui depend de luy entierement, et joindre eneor à soy une des Ecclesiastiques comme Treves, par le moyen d'Angleterre et de Messeigneurs les Estats. Et estant armé, ce la s'entr'-aideroit sans doute ainsy qu'il ne faudroit attendre autre chose que la benediction de Dieu pour accomplissement de lad. intention. … Et en ce cas sera difficile voir inevitable qu'on entreprise contre les Ecclesiastiques et Prestres qui tous son Espagnolisez et procurent la monachie Espagnole. … Il faudra aussy dire à S. A. de Savoye qu'encorque le fait ne doibt estre du tout dissimulé envers le Roy de la Gran Bretagne, qu'il faudra necessairement aller fort sobrement du commencement pour les causes qu'ils diront de bouehe, et feront aussy entendre que la Baron est prest d'estre envoyé bien tost en Angleterre et par les pais bas, et montreront à S. A. la connexité et dependance avee l'apportunité de la d. negotiation.”—Londorp, iii. 601.
Mansfeld was required to command the troops in Bohemia, and Dohna was not sent to Turin till October. The next letter was written by the Elector to explain the delay in his mission to England.
page 9 note a Secretary of State.
page 11 note a Cardinal Klesel, formerly prime minister of the Emperor Matthias.
page 12 note a “The first of October following, the Marquis of Buckingham was commaunded by his Matie to write unto Mr. Cottington that he should let the King of Spaine know that his Matie was very glad to understand that he was likewise willing that those businesses should be friendly accommodated. — Notes by Sir Robert Naunton, Sept. 1619.— State Papers, Germany.
b Sir John Digby.
page 19 note a Filled up by conjecture, the paper being torn.
page 20 note a Filled up by conjecture, the paper being torn.
page 21 note a Filled up by conjecture, the paper being torn.
page 21 note b To this letter no answer was returned.
a Secretary of State.
b Julian Sanchez de Ulloa, agent for the King of Spain in London since Gondomar's departure.
a The following is Dohna's own account of his mission, extracted by Voigt in Raumer's Historisches Taschenbuch (1853), 126 :—
“Nach dem ich bei dem Könige Audienz gehabt, haben Seine Majestät mich an die Räthe gewiesen, mit denselben in Unions-sachen wegen Prolongation deg Bündnisses zu tractiren, sintemal die Zeit des ersten Verbündnisses zu Ende gelaufen. Es sind sechs der königlichen Räthe zu der Handlung verordnet worden. Der Erzbischof von Canterbury, der duo de Lenox, der due de Buckingham, welchen man Marquis genaunt, nebst drei Gelehrten (conseillera d'état) welche, als sie versammelt gewesen, mir eine Stunde benaunt, bei ihnen im königlichen Palaste zu erscheinen. Ala ich in den Rath gekommen, haben sie sich an eine Tafel niedergesetzt, mir aber die Oberstelle allein zu sitzen angewiesen, und hat man also (in Abwesenheit des von Buckingham welcher nicht bei der Hand sein können) die Handlung angefangen. Sie wurde bald verrichtet; und enklärte sich der König er wolle das Bündniss mit den Unirten noeh auf einige Jahre verlängern, also dasz ich meinen Zweck und was mir befohlen war, erlangte. Daneben aber waren mir noch andere Sachen übertragen, belungend den Zustand von Deutschland und dasz ea sich ansehen liesze, ala ob nach Kaiser Matthias Tod die Stände in Böhmen, Mähren und benachbarten Landschaften einen andern Herrn erwählen möchten, dabei denn etliche Leute sich die Einbildung machten, als ob solche Wahl auf einen evangelischen Reichsfürsten, und namentlich auf den Kurfürsten Pfalzgrafen, Seiner Majestät Eidam, sollte gebracht werden können. Diea Alles ist zwar Seiner Majestät mit gebührendem Grund und mit Bescheidenheit vorgebracht, aber doch allerdings nicht wohl aufgenommen worden. Denn obwol Seine Majestät sich dahin erklärte, dasz sie, wenn auf gemeldetem Todesfall eine electio legitima vorginge, alsdann ihres Eidams sich anzunehmen nicht unterlassen wolle, so gab dennoch Seine Majestät zu verstehen, er wolle von einen Kriege nichts hören. Er sehe wohl, wir gingen damit urn, einen Krieg anzuheben, aber er, der König, wolle damit nichts zu thun haben, denn er merke, dasz sich etliche Fürsten in Deutschland damit grosz zu machen suchten. Es wäre sein Rath, dasz sich sein Eidam wohl in Acht zu nebmen hätte, ehe er einen Krieg anhebe, er solle als ein junger Herr seinen Schwiegervater folgen, wie die Verse Virgil's lauteten, welehe Ihre königliche Majestät mir vorhielten und vorsagten : O præstans animi juvenis, quantum ipse feroei Virtute exsuperas, tanto me impensius æquum est Prospicere atque omnes volventem expendere easus. In the original (Æn. xii. 21) the last line stands “Consulere atque omnis metuentem expendere casus.”
a This translation is in Cottington's handwriting. (State Papers, Spain.)
a They had been sent to negotiate a treaty between the Dutch and English East India Companies.
a Julian Sanchez de Ulloa, the Spanish Agent in London.
a Ambassador at the Hague.
a Following last Sunday, i.e. Feb.
b February .
page 44 note a Printed in the Carleton Letters (1780), p. 337.
a Printed in the Carieton Letters (1780), p. 338.
a Ambassador at Venice.
b The ships were not sent, as the Spanish preparations ceased.
a March 28—April 3.
a These two alterations must have been introduced afterwards, when the news of the Emperor's death, on th of March, reached England. The passages in italics are underscored in the original.
b Marginal alteration.
a This sum of money only existed in the imagination of the Bohemians.
a Secretary of State in Lake's place, since February 16th, 1619.
page 69 note a Founded on, but not translated from, the First Apology of the Bohemians.
page 69 note b The “Majestätsbrief.”
page 69 note c The agreement between the Estates of the two religions drawn up after the signature of the “Majestatsbrief.”
page 70 note a “Auf Ihrer Kay. May. Herrschafften.” Apol. Boh.
page 70 note b In 1617 Thurn was replaced by Martinitz as Burggrave of Carlstein.
page 70 note c “Bürgermeistern und Raht.” Apol. Boh.
page 71 note a The Herrenstand and Ritterstand.
page 71 note b The supplication of the Diet held in 1615 referred to here is printed in “Die Grosse oder andere Apologia.” Beilage, No. 85.
page 71 note c Count.
page 72 note a “Den Herren Statthaltern.” Apol. Boh. The ten Regents appointed during the absence of Mathias.
page 72 note b Printed in “Dei Andere oder Grosse Apologia.” Beilage, No. 99.
page 72 note c “Frembder Underthanen ;” i.e. vassals of others, viz. of the Archbishop of Prague and the Abbot of Braunau.
page 73 note a Jaroslaw Borzita von Martinitz.
a A Letter received from Pembroke on the same day and by the same bearer, is of this date.
a Doncaster.
b Printed in the Carlton Letters.
a On the of May the Dutch Commissioners in England wrote that Plessen had arrived as an Ambassador from the Elector Palatine, and that his coming has delayed Doncaster's departure. (Add. MSS. 17,677, I. fol. 418.)
a
a May
page 85 note a On the East India Trade. The treaty was finally signed on the of June.
a Barneveldt and the Arminians.
a Dietrichstein.
a The man was a certain Nicholas de Laken, who had offered to discover the name of the author of the Corona Regia, a libel at which James had been greatly offended. On the Trumbull wrote to Naunton expressing his disbelief that De Laken had any information worth buying.
page 107 note a This dispatch haa not been preserved.
page 109 note a In February the Duke had proposed that he should become Emperor and King of Bohemia, whilst the Elector Palatine was to have Alsace, Hungary, and, if possible, part of Austria. Londorp, iii. 611.
a Some words appear to have been omitted.
a To be Secretary to the Electress in the place lately vacated by Sir Albert Morton.
b No. LXVII.
page 129 note a The Margrave of Anspach, who was of the family of the Electors of Brandenburg.
page 132 note a Budweis.
page 136 note a The Elector of Cologne.
b The House of Wittelsbach, to which the Electors Palatine belonged.
c The Spanish Ambassador at Vienna.
d No. LXXII.
page 137 note a No. LXXI.
a Appended to this letter is a copy of the proposition made to the Venetian Ambassador by Wake in accordance with the Elector's request.
a Printed by Mr. Sainabury in his Original Papers relating to Rubens, 118, note.
b Gondomar.
a The Count of Thurn.
a The following (State Papers, Germany) is probably the letter in question:— “Jacobus Dei gratia Magnæ Britanniæ, Franciæ et Hiberniæ Rex, Fidei Defensor, æc, Illmo atque excellentissimo Principi ac Domino, Domino Maximiliano Comiti Palatino ad Rhenum, Duei utriusque Bavariæ, consanguineo et amico nostro charissimo. Illustrissime Princeps, consanguinee et amice charissime, Quùm ea quæ nos semper tenuit pro Rep. Christianâ solicitudo hortata sit nobilem hunc et illustrem virum Jacobum Haium, Doncastriæ Vicecomitem, consanguineum nostrum, ad Sacri Romani Vicarios Legatum mittere, ut si quâ fieri possit, illius nostro nomine studio aspirante horum autoritati, depulsâ belli Bohemici nube, universæ Germaniæ tranquillitas reddatur, dedimus et insuper in mandatis ad vestram quoque Celsitudinem, nobis multâ et sanguinis et affinitatis necessitudiue conjunctissimam, officii et consilii causâ accedere, simulque suam operam ultro offerre sicubi Celsitudini vestræ esse possit usui, quod eum pro officio sedulè facturum uti nos certo scimus, ità eandem omniuò a Celsitudine vestrâ illi haberi fidem ae si nos ipsi presentes loquerernur valdè cupimus et rogamus.
“Deus Opt. Max. Celsitudinem vestram quam diutissimè sospitem et florentem servet. Dat. e Palatio nostro Westm. 28° Apr. 1619.”
b Tilly.
a No. LXVII.
a No. LXXX.
b No. LXVII.
a The word “tutored” has been written above this.
a On the 26th of July Wake wrote again to Naunton the letter referred to in the indorsement. He says that it is almost a fortnight since the return of the Duke of Feria's Ambassador to Milan, and that “this letting runne so many dayes without further pressing that motion which Signor Visconti at his beeing here did sett on foot with extraordinary heate, doth confirme the Duke of Savoy in his former opinion that the Governor of Milan did never really intend any such thing.” Wake proceeds, however, to say that he doubts this, as he hears “that in the State of Milan they do levye men apace, and that the last weeke there hath been remitted thither from Genoa the sum of 150m crownes.”
a No. XCI.
a This is an evident mistake. Doncaster was not at Hauau on and Ferdinand had become Emperor. The letter must be the one referred to in the despatch of August
.
page 183 note a Those of the ten members of the Regency who still remained at Prague.
page 184 note a Easter Monday.
page 186 note a There seems to be something omitted here.
page 191 note a Some words have been carefully erased here.
page 192 note a No. LXXXIX.
page 192 note b No. XC.
page 192 note c No. XCI.
a Autograph.
a There is something omitted here, probably “rerum statu.”
a The Elector Palatine was being chosen King at Prague on the day on which this was written.