Edmondes, Thomas: Letter (to Sir Robert Cecil) (1 203 words)

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1

CLI.


2
3    It maie please yor honor. I haue according to yor honors
4Comandement used all endevor and industrie to fynd out a meanes
5for yor honor to receiue aduertisementes out of Spaine, but being verie
6hard to meet wth one to send exp~slie thither, that is faithfull and
7sufficient, and can be able to serue yor honor as were fitt, I haue
8therefore aduised howe to wourke the same by those of the best sorte
9here that haue correspondencie in Spayne, And aboue all others one
10Monsr Anthoine Balbany, an Itallian marchant of the Principall of this
11Towne, hauing the most frequent & best aduertisementes from thence
12because of his great trade there, and wth the chief p~sone of that
13Countrie I sought to haue it p~pounded to him, whether he would be
14content to emploie his frends to aduertise him of that wch should
15passe there, and that yor honor might receiue information thereof,
16wch curtesie yor honor would alwaies kindlie acknoweledge towardes
17himselfe & anie his frendes as they should haue anie neede to use yor
18honors fauor. There was some difficultie made at the first to deale
19wth him therin, because being a sup~stitious papist, and not to be
20swayed by the consideration of benefittes, in respect of the greatnes
21of his estate, it was doubted the ouuerture would not be agreable to
22him, but for that he wth Monsr Zamatt doe shippe great quantetie of
23Corne to transport out of the Realme into Spayne, and arguying wth
24me, whether the same be in danger to be staied if the said vessells
25be mett by anie englishe shippes I did thereof assure him, yett afterwardes
26I did cause it to be signified to him, that if for his better
27assurance he would be strengthned wth anie pasportes from my lord
28Admyrall that I durst p~sume yor honor would gratifie him wth anie
29that he should neede for his p~ticuler and fauor him in all other his
30occasions so as he would requyte it in the other curtesie to p~cure yor
31honor to receiue information of that which shall passe in Spayne. He
32hearkned to this offer, and assured me that he will geiue yor honor all
33satisfaction in yor desier, and hereuppon prayed me to send in dilligence

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34to yor honor to beseech you to be pleased to assist him with the said
35pasportes, but for that the nombr wch he demandeth is great, being
36twelue, I feare it wilbe an unpleasant motion to yor honor yett I
37thought good to p~sent it to yor honors consideration first for that it is a
38spetiall meanes to p~cure yor honor to receiue verie goode & frequent
39aduertisements, and wthout anie charge to you, and secondlie for that I
40fynd these people are resolued to mainteyne that librtie to Carrie Corne
41into Spayne, and thereuppon haue geiuen assurance to Zamett & the
42rest to staie all englishe mens goodes for their recompence, if staie be
43made of their shippes by her maties subiectes, To auoyde the sendinge
44of so greate nombr of pasportes, as since he reqeyred of me, I undertook
45that yor honor would be pleased to p~cure the release of anie of
46his shippes that should be staied, wch although he acknowledged to be
47a fauor yett it did not content him, for that he feareth that being
48subiect to that staie, it will make him to loose the benefitt of his markett
49& hazard the p~ishing of the Corne. He hath alreadie sent awaie some
50shippes & desireth these pasportes for those vessells wch are yett behind,
51wch he saieth are not aboue the burthen of threescoore tonnes but thereof
52I cannot geiue assurance, and doe humbly submitt the iudgement of the
53conveniencie, or not, of his request, to yor honors best consideration,
54And where happelie it may be thought that I seeke thereby to p~cure
55some p~fitt to myself I beseech yor honor to beleeue my poor p~testation
56wch I will not falsifie to you, that I haue not therein anie desseing or
57interest of privatt benefitt, but onlie a superstious desire to serue yor
58honor in that wch you haue so much in recommendacion, and is of so
59great importance. It is desired that the pasportes may runne in the
60name Peter Bernardin Massey and Anthonie Balbany and blanckes to
61be left for the names of the shippes, and of the Masters.
62    I hope also to p~cure that the Ambr of Venice shall drawe often
63aduertisementes from their Ambr. in Spayne and send them from tyme
64to tyme to yor honor, and will emploie all other meanes possible, that
65by the plurallitie of advices yor honor maie by the better serued and
66make the truer iudgement of thinges. I doe contynuallie sollicitt the
67paiement of the 20000 Crownes as yor honor demandeth me, and am
68still confidentlie assured by Monsr de Rhosny who is the fac totum
69here for monie matters that wthout faile it shalbe answeared out of
70this yeares receipt, but that it cannott be soone leuyed.
71    He toulde me that he understoode her matie had geiuen the said

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72monie unto some aboute her but I assured him, that it is a false
73information.
74    Monsr de Villeroy did verie kindlie take yor honors letter and
75will by the Ambr. retourne yor honor answeare thereunto. I did also
76acquaynte him, in other discourse, that the Ambr had not yett made
77anie privatt acquaintance wth yor honor, touching the wch he sayd that
78he would wryte unto him, being a faulte wch his frendes here doe
79accuse in him, that he doth too formallie hould himself on his grauitie,
80but being otherwise a verie honest gent, and of great integritie. He
81doth complaine greatlie in all his dispatches that he cannott receiue
82satisfaction from my lord Admyrall in matters of iustice. That yor
83honor doth order & direct verie well, but that his l. doth not answeare
84it in p~fourmance & execution I assure yor honor if it be not p~vyded by
85some good establishement to redresse the disorders of both sides, our
86poore marchantes wilbe undonne by these differences, and yor honor
87will forthwth see the effectes thereof. I haue comunicated wth one
88Smyth the answeare wch yor honor sent me from Mr. Kelley touching
89the wch he hath thought good to wryte againe to yor honor. There is
90no likelyhood to compound so discordant allegations, unlesse they were
91together, or that they will agree to whom to referre their differences,
92and these expostulations in the mean tyme serve to litle pourpose.
93    It is verie earnestlie desired that it will please yor honor either to
94send the pasportes wth expedition or ells answeare that they cannott be
95getten for that they stay the dep~ture of their shippes thereuppon, and
96therefore yor honor shall greatlie satisfie them to geiue a speedie
97resolution wch I beseech yor honor to be pleased to doe. And
98craving also p~don for hauing troubled yor honor wth so tedious a
99letter I most humbly take my leaue ffrom Paris the second of
100Januarie 1598.
101
102    I send yor honer the memoriall
103delyuered me for the said pasportes.
104

105Yor honors
106most humblie bounden
107Tho: Edmondes.

108

109Endorsed 1598
1102 Jan.
111Mr Edmondes to my Mr.
112His endevor to setle some intelligence wth Spaine

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113Twelue pasport~ to be procured from ye l. Admll for ffrenche
114merchant~ to carry Corne for Spaine.
115Rc. the ixth at Whithall.
116
117To the right honorable Sr. Robrt Cecyll knight Principall Secretarie
118to the Queenes Matie and chancelor of the Duchee of lancaster.