Here the French ambassador to England, Mothe Fenelon, reports back to the Queen mother — her son, Charles IX, was pleased to leave the governing to her — on the highly sensitive subject of Elizabeth's support for the Protestant Huguenot faction in Catherine's realm. Neither was being entirely truthful.
This letter offers a special bit of color. In the midst of all, the impetuous 18 year old Earl of Oxford is so desirous of knight service that he has volunteered to fight for either side in France's civil strife, the king's or the Huguenot Prince of Conde's — whichever side Elizabeth might allow.
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estant meue de quelque conscience, elle permect que ceulx, qui sont persécutez pour sa mesme religion, ayent leur reffuge en son royaulme, et si elle n'empesche que ses subjectz ne mectent du leur au soubstien de la cause; et mesmes qu'ilz employent aulcunement le nom et le crédict d'elle. |
being moved by some conscience, she allows those who are persecuted for her same religion to have their refuge in her kingdom, and she does not prevent her subjects from contributing their own to support the cause; requiring only that they never use her name and credit. |
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En quoy j'ay bien cogneu, Madame, qu'elle se trouvoit quelque foys fort surprinse, et entroit en collère, quant je monstrois révoquer à infraction de paix le support et faveur que le prince de Condé tiroit de ce royaulme; et encor qu'elle n'en advouhât rien, elle ne layssoit pourtant de signiffier, par aucunes parolles, que l'infraction estoit premièrement commancée contre elle par la ferme persuasion, qu'elle se donne, de la dicte ligue, et que, bien qu'elle ne l'estimât estre principallement dressée contre elle, ny contre ses pays, que, toutes foys, l'on l'avoit faicte si généralle qu'elle s'y tenoit comme comprinse au préjudice des précédans trettez; et que, venant à prévalloir ailleurs, elle ne faisoit dobte qu'on n'entreprint de l'exécuter, après, en son endroict. Et c'est le principal poinct où j'ay toutjour incisté à la dicte Dame, de luy fère veoir que ceste matière n'estoit aulcune ment de religion, ains toute pure de l'estat, saichant qu'elle demeuroit en l'endroict mesmes de ceulx de son conseil, et envers tous aultres, toutjour ferme et bien fort résolue pour l'auctorité des Roys; de sorte que, qui eust peu séparer l'aultre cause, elle n'eust esté que très bien disposée pour ceste cy, et m'a semblé quelque foys qu'elle s'y layssoit in duyre, mais ceulx de l'aultre party luy représantent tant d'argumens de plusieurs choses, faictes au contraire, qu'elle ne sçayt à quoy s'en tenir. |
In which I knew well, Madam, that she was sometimes very surprised, and became angry, when I denounced the support and favor that the Prince of Condé derived from this kingdom as a breach of the peace; and even though she admitted nothing, she nevertheless did not fail to signify, in so many words, that the offense was first committed against her by our firm persuasion, that she gave herself to the said league, and that, although she did not consider us to be principally set against her, nor against her lands, that, in any case, the opinion had been made so general that she held it as understood to the prejudice of previous treaties; and that the opinion coming to prevail elsewhere, she had no doubt that others would undertake to act against her, afterwards, in their own places. And this is the main point where I have always urged the said Lady, to make her see that this matter was in no way about religion, but purely about the state, knowing that she remained in the same place of those of her council, and towards all others, always firm and very resolute for the authority of Kings; so that, could one have separated the other cause, she would only have been very well disposed toward us, and it seemed to me sometimes that she allowed herself to be led up to it, but those of the other party represent so many arguments of several things, made on the contrary, that she does not know what to expect. |
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J'entendz, toutes foys, que, ces jours passés, au comte de Oxfort, jeune seigneur, bien estimé en ceste court, qui desiroit veoir de la guerre, et inportunoit la dicte Dame de luy donner congé d'aller trouver le prince de Condé, après plusieurs reffuz, elle luy a respondu qu'elle ne vouloit q'un tel personnaige des siens se trouvât avec ung qui estoit contre son Roy. Dont luy, despuys, devisant avec d'aultres seigneurs de bonne volonté, leur a dict qu'il desireroit que la Royne, sa Mestresse, luy donnast congé d'aller servir le Roy, et qu'il combatroit volontiers contre les rebelles, qui luy faisoient la guerre; de quoy estant taxé, il a esté mené devant les seigneurs du conseil, devant lesquelz il s'est monstré si résolu en son opinion, qu'ilz ont estimé que cella venoit d'aulcune pratique des Catholiques, dont luy ont vollu user de quelque rigueur; mais, après leur avoir dict franchement ce que la Royne luy avoit respondu, ilz sont demeurez toutz estonnez, et ne luy ont rien plus répliqué.
De Londres ce xv° de février 1569. |
I understand, however, that, these past days, to the Earl of Oxford, young lord, well esteemed in this court, who wanted to see war, and bothered the said Lady to give him leave to go and find the Prince of Condé, after several refusals, replied that she did not want such a person of hers to be with one who was opposing his king. Of which he, since then, discussing with other lords of good will, told them that he would like the Queen, his Mistress, to give him leave to go and serve the King, and that he would gladly fight against the rebels, who made war on him; of which being taxed, he was brought before the lords of the council, before whom he showed himself so resolute in his opinion, that they considered that it came from no practice of the Catholics, about which they were willing to use some rigor; but, after having told them Frankly what the Queen had replied to him, they remained completely astonished, and replied nothing further.
From London this 15th of February 1569. |
Source: Correspondance Diplomatique de Bertrand de Salignac De La Mothe Fenelon (1838). I.197-9
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
A History of the Tudor Parlor. October 8, 2022. "The parlour appears in the sixteenth century to have been a room the particular use of which was in a state of transition."
- Exploring Medieval and Tudor Stuffing. November 14, 2021. “The recipe gives an excellent description of how the hole to the cavity was closed.”
- Feast of St. Michael, September 29: Beginning of the English Year. September 29, 2019. "Those who have read my “Thousand Years of English Terms” may recall that the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels (a.k.a. “Michaelmas”), on September 29, marked the beginning to the English legal and business year."
- Check out the English Renaissance Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
- Check out the English Renaissance Page: Letters for many letters from this fascinating time.
A History of the Tudor Parlor. October 8, 2022. "The parlour appears in the sixteenth century to have been a room the particular use of which was in a state of transition."
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