DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.57079#0046
30
THE EARLY HISTORY OF
Bull granting peculiar privileges to such as
would leave legacies for the maintenance of
an army of 30,000 men for the defence of those
dominions against the Turk. This army
was to be employed in no other service save
only when there was peace with the Grand
Seignior. Now in 1588 the King of Spain
wanted to have the use of these soldiers
against England. He therefore sent a special
envoy to make a treaty of peace with the
Sultan. The English ambassador “ twice re-
pulsed ” the Spanish envoy, and so, the
merchants point out, was doing work for her
majesty.8 They beg therefore, “to have an
end of this tedious suit by granting our
privileges.” In spite of this Cecil was cir-
cumspect. He wished to have full particulars
of the trade in order to see whether it was
really worth while to continue it. He accord-
ingly issued a series of questions to each of
the Companies, the tenor of which may be
8 See S. P. D. Eliz. vol. 232, No. 54. Richard
Staper was then ambassador, and he tells the story
again in S. P. D. James I, vol. 15, No. 4 (see below,
p. 56), and gives the name of the Spanish envoy as John
Stephano,
THE EARLY HISTORY OF
Bull granting peculiar privileges to such as
would leave legacies for the maintenance of
an army of 30,000 men for the defence of those
dominions against the Turk. This army
was to be employed in no other service save
only when there was peace with the Grand
Seignior. Now in 1588 the King of Spain
wanted to have the use of these soldiers
against England. He therefore sent a special
envoy to make a treaty of peace with the
Sultan. The English ambassador “ twice re-
pulsed ” the Spanish envoy, and so, the
merchants point out, was doing work for her
majesty.8 They beg therefore, “to have an
end of this tedious suit by granting our
privileges.” In spite of this Cecil was cir-
cumspect. He wished to have full particulars
of the trade in order to see whether it was
really worth while to continue it. He accord-
ingly issued a series of questions to each of
the Companies, the tenor of which may be
8 See S. P. D. Eliz. vol. 232, No. 54. Richard
Staper was then ambassador, and he tells the story
again in S. P. D. James I, vol. 15, No. 4 (see below,
p. 56), and gives the name of the Spanish envoy as John
Stephano,