THE Queenes maiestie lately vnderstandyng, that by a sodaine commaun-dement of the Duke of Alua, as gouernour in the low countreys belonging to her ma­iesties good brother the kyng of Spayne, al maner her marchaunts and other her sub­iectes inhabytyng in the towne of Andwerpe, were arrested & put vnder garde of cer­taine companies of souldiours, and their goodes and marchaundizes also seased, about the xxix. of the last moneth of December, and since that time the like arrest is made ge­nerally in the sayde low countreys: A matter very straunge, and heretofore in no tyme vsed betwixt the Crowne of Englande and the house of Burgondy, without some ma­ner of former conference precedyng, and intelligence had of the myndes and intentions of the Princes them selues on both sydes. Wherevpon her maiestie hath thought good, to geue warnyng to all her subiectes that haue any cause to traffique in any of the countreys of the saide kyng, that they shal forbeare the same, vntyll further knowledge may appeare of the mynde of the sayde kyng hym selfe howe he shall alowe hereof: whiche beyng knowen to her maiestie, shalbe notified to her sayde subiectes. And in the meane tyme, her maiestie wylleth and commaundeth all maner her officers, of all to wnes, burghes, cities, portes, and all other landyng places within any of her dominions, that they do cause all and euery person borne vnder any part of the obedience of the sayd kyng of Spayne, or lyuyng in his countreys and professyng obedience to the sayd kyng, and their goodes, marchaundizes, stirres, and vessels, to be arrested and stayed, to be foorth commyng and aunswerable, aswell for the indemnitie of her maiesties subiectes alredy, without any iust cause deteyned, as for other necessarie consequencies: and that also in all townes, hauens, and dwellyng places, where any marchauntes borne or professyng the obedience of the sayde kyng, shalle founde to be suspected for conuertyng or conueying of their goodes, by any maner of fraude or colour of bargayne, from the arrest and seasure therof: there the principall officers of that towne or place, with assistaunce of others Iustices of peace, shal proceede to the inquisition therof by all maner good meanes, and shal commit to warde aswell the parties, of what nation soeuer they be, that haue or shalbe priuie or aydyng to any fraudulent colouryng, except they shall first confesse the same, as also the others that haue so coloured the same, and the goodes to be also put in safetie. And yet because her maiestie hath no other meanyng herein, but to haue the persons of the sayde kynges subiectes and their goodes put in safetie by this arrest, for the preseruation of her owne good subiectes and their goodes, and to be respondent for such other disordered actions as may ensue of these so straunge and hasty at­temptes: she wylleth and chargeth all maner her officers, ministers, and subiectes, that no violence be vsed to the hurt of the persons of any the sayde kynges subiectes by reason of this arrest, without they shall by manifest wylfull resistaunce prouoke the same, neither that any spoyle, waste, or damage be done to their goodes and marchaundizes, but only to cause them to be put in good garde and safetie. And yf any of the sayde kynges subiectes shall chalenge to be exempted out of this arrest by reason they be denizens, her maiestie in dede hauing no meaning to impeach them therof, and yet for the tyme not knowyng howe in lyke cases her subiectes beyng naturalized in the sayde kynges countreys, are or shalbe vsed: is pleased that the sayde persons beyng in deede denizens, shall but fynde sufficient suer­ties to be foorth commyng, with their goodes: and yf they so wyll not, then they shalbe committed to the custody and garde of some other Englyshe marchauntes, and due inuentories taken of their goodes, vntyll knowledge may be had howe her maiesties subiectes be or shalbe vsed on the other part. And consideryng also her maiestie vnderstan­deth that a number of artificers and other fortes of people, haue since the begynnyng of the late inwarde troubles in the lowe countreys, resorted hyther into her realme for auoydyng of the sayde troubles, aswell for their conscien­ces, as for the daungers that properly folowe such ciuile troubles: her wyll and pleasure is, that in all places where suche shalbe founde to be (beyng of honest and quiet conuersation) and except they shalbe participiant to the colou­ryng of other marchauntes goodes, the same shall not be molested eyther in their persons or goodes, otherwyse then where to the officers of the place it shall so seeme nedefull, and there they shall geue bondes one for another to be worth commyng, and suffer inuentozies to be n [...]de of their goodes.

[Page] Furthermore her maiestie hearing by report, that the arrest of her subiectes on the other side the seas, shoulde [...] vpon a pretence, for staying of one shippe and three or foure small barkes, lately come into certayne her portes of [...]e [...] Realme, wherein certayne money was: hath thought good briefely to notifie the circumstaunce of that pretence, wherby may be seene manifestly, that the same is gathered without iust cause, and the deuisers and promoters of the [...], whosoeuer they were, to haue proceeded bnorderly and vnaduisedly. Her maiestie was first infourmed by her officers in certaine her portes in the West countrey of this Realme, that three or foure small barkes, called Zabras, were come out of Spayne into certayne portes there, hauing in them a quantitie of money belonging to sundry marchauntes of Italie and the lowe countreys, and that diuers shippes of Fraunce in warlike maner were vpon the came coastes, attending to surprise the sayde Spanishe bessels and treasure, if they shoulde passe to the seas, and that it was also to be feared, that they woulde enter into the very portes, and take them away by force. Wherevpon her maiesfie did sende straite commaundement by speciall letters, to all the portes in those West partes, that the mar­chauntes and owners of those vessels shoulde haue knowledge thereof, and that they and all other the kyng of Spaynes subiectes, should be assisted and defended against the attemptes of the Frenche, by all meanes possible. After which done, the Spanishe ambassadour here now resident, made like request to haue newe order for mayntenaunce and assistaunce of the sayde vessels and treasure against the sayd Frenche, whiche was also graunted to hym, and se­uerall letters pattentes to that effect were deliuered to his owne messengers. And a whyle after this, he requiring of the Queenes maiestie, to vnderstande her pleasure, whether she woulde be content that the owners and conduc­ters of the sayde treasure might be eyther conducted by sea or by lande to Douer, pretending the money to apper­tayne to the kyng his maister: her maiestie graunted to him, that whiche soeuer of these two wayes he would desire, shoulde be foorthwith directed for hym, whereof he thanked her maiestie, saying that he woulde stay vntyll he might sende into the lowe countreys, and haue worde from the Duke of Alua, whiche of those two wayes he woulde haue [...]t transported. In the meane tyme, her maiestie was infourmed that the Frenche had secretely in the night entred into one of her hauens in the West, where the sayde treasure was, and had attempted the surprise thereof, but were onlye repulsed by suche force as her maiesties officers had in redinesse for that purpose: a matter notorious to all the partes where the sayde shippes were assaulted, and well reported also to the ambassadour. Wherevpon, con­sidering howe doubtfull and there with chargeable a matter it was, from tyme to tyme to preserue the same lying a­biode in the hauens: it was thought best euen for the honour of the Realme, that the sayde treasure should be taken en lande, and there safely preserued in the sight and presence of them that had the charge thereof, without touching or withdrawing any part of the same. And being then certaynely knowen to belong vnto marchauntes, it was also thought, after the due preseruation thereof from the perill of the seas, not an vnreasonable motion, nor against the honorable vsage of princes in their owne dominions, to treate with the owners with their good contentation, and not otherwyse, to borowe it or some part therof, vpon lyke good assuraunce and conditions, as her maiestie hath oftentymes borowed of other marchauntes, subiectes to the sayde kyng in his owne lowe countreys, and as other princes haue done lately in the very lyke cases. The lyke maner was vsed to wardes a ship lying neare Southamp­ten laden with wolles, and wherin also treasure was, and in apparaunt daunger of Frenchmen houering vpon that coast, who had made great offers to the officers there, onlye to withdrawe their defence: for whiche purpose, her ma­iestie sent her captayne of the Isle of Wight for securitie, to haue the same likewise preserued from the Frenche, and to be taken on lande: as if it had not ben, the Frenche had taken it within foure and twentie houres after, whiche also was knowen to belong vnto marchauntes, and so is to be notoriously proued. And before the sayde captayne had taken care to see the same preserued, it is knowen what summes of money were offred to hym, to haue only left the ship wherin the woolles were, after the money taken on land, remayning to be vndefended: which the sayd captayne woulde not suffer, but armed certayne souldiers to very great charges by sea, whiche presently yet do continue to garde the sayde ship. And during this time, whylest this was in ordering, the Spanishe ambassadour came to her ma­iestie about the .xxix. of December, bryngyng with hym from the Duke of Alua a short letter, only of credence, & ther­vpon required, that the vessels and money stayed in the portes might be put to libertie, as belonging to the uyng his maister. To whom her maiestie aunswered, that she had in her doynges (if it were the kynges) shewed hym great pleasure to saue it from the Frenche, she wing hym therin some particularities of the diligence of her officers, but she was infourmed that it belonged to marchauntes, and herein within foure or fiue dayes she shoulde vnderstande [Page] [...] be herein done, that in reason shoulde miscontent [...] [...]er good [...] or siue dayes at his next commyng. And so be [...], not [...] but to alowe of the a [...]were. And her maiestie in the meane tyme hauyng accordyng to [...] expectation [...] from the west countrey, wherevpon she intended to haue satisfied the ambassadour at his [...] (which she [...] to her appoyntment) not only for the deliuery of the sayde shippes and trea­ [...], for such portion [...] myght appeare to belong to the sayde kyng: but also to haue perfourmed her first o [...]e to [...] con [...]uct for the s [...]me by lande or by sea. The first intelligence brought to her maiestie (without any [...] of the ambe [...]adour) was, that all her subiectes, goodes, marchaundizes, and shippes, were arrested, taken, [...] at [...] as [...], the very same present xxix. day that the ambassadour was with her maiestie, so [...] salleth out to euery mans vnderstandyng, that howesoeuer her maiestie had then satisfied the ambassadour [...] same xxix. day, all her subiectes and their goodes had ben neuerthelesse arrested, as they were at Indwerpe the [...] day. Wherevpon her maiestie nowe leaueth it to the indgement of all the worlde, to consider not only whether [...] a pretence was sufficient to cause so sodaine, so violent, and so generall arrest to be made with force, in such ma­ [...], and at the tyme it was: but also in whom any default shalbe founde, whatsoueuer may folowe hereof, her ma­ [...] hauyng had no intention to miscontent the kyng of Spayne, nor to possesse any thyng belongyng to di [...] [...]ub­ [...]s, otherwise then with their good wyll, vpon iuste, reasonable, and vsuall con [...]tions. And thus much [...] her [...] hath thought conuenient to notifie to all persons, for testimonie of her sinceritie, and for maintenaunce of tractions, whatsoeuer they shalbe, whervnto she may by this meanes be prouoked.

At Hampton Court the vi. of January, the xi. yere of her maiesties raigne, and the yere of our Lorde. 1568.

God saue the Queene.