certainely is as vertuous a prince as liuethe [but] he sufferethe him selfe to much to be gouerned by that son. This I thoughte my dut[ie to] write as hauinge hearde it in a very good place and muche affectioned to the tr[ew] cawse. The Polakes hartily repente their so fur fetcht election, beinge now in suche case [that] neither they haue the kinge, nor any thinge the kinge, withe so many othes, had promised. ... besides that their is lately sturred up a very dangerous Sedition, for the same ca[use] that hathe bredde suche lamentable ruines in France and Flandres. Now the [sedition] is reasonably wel appeased, but it is thoughte it will remaine so but a while. I have no othre thinge worthy the writinge at this presente to yowr L. wherefore I humbly ceasse withe my dailie and moste boundne praier, that it please the eternall to continew and encreace yow in all prosperitie. Frome Vienne, This 27 of Nouembre, 1574. Yowr L. moste

obedi ....

PHILIPPE SIDNEY.

LETTER II.

Ibid. ff. 387-8. not the original.

Sir Philip Sydney to Sir Francis Walsingham.

RIGHTE HONORABLE,

I receiued in commandement from her Matie that in my waye to the Emperor, I should deliver her Maties

letters to the brethren Palatins, and withall giue them to vnderstand how greatly, and in what good respectes her Matie was sorry for the death of the late Elector, and yet withall somewhat comforted by the assured expectation her Matie had of their succeeding vnto him in all his vertues, I should, according as I sawe cause, perswade them to brotherly loue, necessary for the publique weale, and their owne preseruation. Afterwards to Casimire in particular, I should so much the more expresse her Maties good fauor towards him, as he was the son most deere vnto his father, and had allready giuen very good shew of his princely vertues. Lastly I should learne of him, whether the mony deliuered were as yet receiued, which her Matie would be content to leaue there in some place of that country in deposito. For the first I could not yet doe it, but only to prince Casimir, the Electour being at a towne of his in the upper Palatinate called Amberg, whether I meane to goe vnto him, being not much out of the waye for Prage, where the Emperour lyes, if I doe not meete him by the way, as it is thought I shall, but to Prince Casimire I said according to mine instructions, and to that purpose so much more, as the course of speech, and the framing of the time did give occasion. His answer was that her Matie in deed had great reason to be sorry for the losse of his father, hauing bene in truth so trew a friend and servant vnto her, of his other good partes he left to be witnessed by the things he hath done in the aduancement of vertue and Religion. For himselfe he could not thinke himselfe bound enough to her Matie for this signification of her goodnes towards him, and in the vertues of his father, there was none he would seeke more to follow, then his duty and good will to her Matie.

This he did in very good termes, and with a countenance well witnessing it came from his hart.

For the second, I founde no cause to perswade him to vnity with his brother, he being, as he saith, fully perswaded so to embrace it, as nothing more, yet found I in him great miscontentment that his brother beginnes to make alteration in Religion, for hauing two principall gouerments the vpper Palatinate which lyes in Bauaria, and this which they calle the nether, by the Rhine, the Elector hath already in the vpper established Lutheranisme, and as it is feared is comming shortly to doe the like here. He hath vsed great perswasions to his brother in it, and of late hath sett out in print his father's Confession in his owne name, to the end as I perceiue, by him, to auoyde all suspicion, that eyther flattery in his father's time, or feare now, did or may moue him, either to embrace, or leaue, that which concernes his conscience. This confession he hath sent to all the Electors, and most part of the Princes of Germany. He is resolved, if his brother doe drive away from him the learned men of the true profession, that he will receiue to him, and hereof something may breed gall betwixt them, if any doe; but the best is to be hoped, considering Prince Lodouick is of a soft nature, ledde to these things only thorough conscience, and Prince Casimir wise that can temper well with the others weaknes.

For the third, which was to shew her Maties speciall good liking of Prince Casimir, I did it with the first, and his answere was the same protestation of his good harte, as before I wratte.

In the last, touching her Maties money, his answer was the K. of France had falsefied his promise, and

therefore neither her Matie nor the Ritters who doe greatly cry for it, could as yet have their dew. I told him it would be a cause to make her Matie withdraw from like loanes, as the well paying would give her cause to doe it in greater somes. He was greeved with my vrging of him, and assured me, that if he could gett the payement, he wolde rather dye then not see her Matie honorably satisfied. Then I pressed him for certeine iewells and ostages I had learned he had in pawne of the King; he told mee, they were allready the Rittreses, but if her Matie would buy any of them she might haue a good bargaine.

In fyne, this I find, that of nyne Monthes was dew to the Soldiers, they are paied but to and an halfe, for other the Duke of Lorrayne and Vaudemont are bound, of which they make perfect account. Their Jewells and ostages they valew a little more then at halfe a Moneths paye, so that there is due vnto them yet foure Moneths pay, which according to their gentle allowance comes to aboue a Million of Frankes: vntil most part of this be payed, I do not think her Matie can receiue her dew. The best is, a thing well employed is halfe paied, and yet truly by that I find in the Prince, I doe hold my selfe in good beleefe, that her Male within a yeare or two shalbe honorably answered it.

Now touching the particularities her Male willed me to learne of him, as of the Emperors, both in matters of State and Religion, how the Princes of Germany are affected in French and Low Country matters, what forces there are preparing here, and what he himselfe meanes to be.

For the Emperor, he knows very little of him, but such generall pointes euerywhere knowen, of his papis

try or Spanish grauity. But this I understand by men of good judgement, that he is left poore, the Diuision with his brethren not yet made, warres with the Turke feared, and yet his peace little better, considering the great tributes he paies, and the continuall spoiles his subiectes suffer vppon the Frontiers.

The other Princes of Germany haue no care but how to grow riche and to please their senses; the Duke of Saxony so carried away with the vbiquity, that he growes bitter to the true Lutherians. The rest are of the same mould, thinking they should be safe, though all the world were on fire about them, except it be the Landgraue William, and his brethern, and this Prince Casimire, who wisheth very earnestly, that her Matie would writte of purpose vnto the Landgraue, being a Prince both religious, wise, and very much addicted to her Matle

Forces there are none publiquely preparing. Casimir the only man, the Ritters and soldiors doe looke and depend vppon him, he temporises a little staying till he gathers of the K. of France and K. of Nauarre 3 Months paye for such an army, as he will bring, and then in deed he saith, I shall heare, that he is dead, or that he hath left a miserable France of the Papishe syde. I haue sent the Princes confession in Dutch. The Prince did giue of a meaning Don John* should haue

* Don John of Austria, natural brother to Philip the Second of Spain. Hume says, referring to Camden and Grotius as his authorities, that this prince "had projected to espouse the Queen of Scots, and to acquire in her right the dominion of the British kingdoms." He was afterwards killed by poison in the Low Countries, at the instigation, as was generally supposed, of his brother, who dreaded his ambition.