Archives ou correspondance inédite de la maison d'Orange-Nassau (première série). Tome VI 1577-1579

Lettre DCCLXXXIV.
Sir [A.] Paulet au Comte de Leicester. Projets de D. Juan contre l'Angleterre. (MS. P. BR. Vol. 96. Pièces Hist. XXXIV).

*_** Apparemment Amyas Paulet, le mème Gentilhomme auquel ensuite fut commise la garde de la Reine Marie Stuart.

[p. 239]

⁺Ses craintes n'étoient pas chimériques (p. 71). Aussi Elizabeth ne tarda-t'-elle pas à prendre, contre sa coutume, une marche plus décidée. Delà le Traité du 7 janv. 1578. Elle promettoit des troupes; par contre elle stipuloit, non seulement des secours très-considérables, pour le cas où l'Angleterre seroit attaquée, mais encore une influence qui, sous plus d'un rapport, ressembloit presque à la Souveraineté: ‘De Staten en souden geen sake van gewichte, als van oorloge of vrede te maken, mogen besluiten sonder haer Majesteits consent en raed, of van hare Gedeputeerde, die sy tot dien einde in Nederland senden soude:’ Bor, 903_b.
Pour rendre la Reine favorable, il n'y avoit rien de plus efficace que les négociations avec Anjou. Le 30 oct. Paulet écrit à Leicester: ‘... The Baron of Daubigny and [Marsan¹] have ben at la Fère⁽¹⁾ with Mons_r and have presented him with a hundrethe thousand florens and² tapestrie to the value of thousand crownes. I praye God that the greate preparations made by the Duke of Guyse and others here do not force th'Estats to give themselves wholy to the Frenche, which no doubte will come to passe, yf they are coldelye assisted other wayes... 30 oct 77.’ (MS. P. Br. Vol. 96. P.h. xxxiv.).

...Some spare not to saye that, when Don John hath assemblyd his forces, a peace shall be made, and then the whole poer of Fraunce, Spayne, Flandres, and Italie shal be employed against Englande and the Pr. of Orange. It is easye ynoughe to see that their harts are yll affected. God graunte them lyttle power, which wyll come to passe yf, acknowledging that our owne arme canne not defende us against so manie mightie and conjured enne-

+ 1577. Novembre.

1 Mansard.

(1) la Fère. ‘Alençonius fuit din in Picardià, ut ex loco propinquo ageret cum Orangio:’ Lang Ep. s. I. 2. 327.

2 La lettre cursive indique qu'on a rétabli par conjecture un endroit inlisible du Manuscrit.

[p. 240]

⁺myes, we tender the saffetie of our good frindes abroade, and accompte of them as of our best assuryd buckler to defend the blowes prepared against us. Some saye that Monsieur and the Estates cannot agree uppon the condicions and that he doeth not like of their profers, yea some thinke that all this treatie betwene them is nothing but dissymulation, and that this treason was the grounde plotte of the late peace in France. The hatred of the greate personnages of this realm against religion ys deadlye and irreconciliable, and as nothing is more desired than the extirpation of the same, so nothing wyl be omytted that may serve that purpose. The Treatye of Bayonne and the Treatye of Namur seme to have ben treated by lyke parties, and like traytorous effects... It is not to be doubted but that there is verie strayte League of amytie betwene Don John and the Duke of Guise, and that the said Duke hath affected this quarrell of the Lowe-Countreys as his owne...

+ 1577. Novembre.