De conquestu Angliae per Hispanos
Folger MS G.b.5
Folger Shakespeare Library
1 volume
(19.0 items)
1570-1604 (bulk 1580s)
Bound collection of contemporary copies of nineteen documents concerning English Catholics and diplomatic affairs during the Anglo-Spanish War (1585-1604). Specifically, the documents concern Catholic plans to conquer England and Scotland.
In Italian, Latin, and Spanish.
Historical Note
The Anglo–Spanish War (1585–1604) was a complex and intermittent conflict between the kingdoms of Spain and England that was never formally declared. The conflict, the result of religious, political, and economic agitations, began with England's support of the resistance to Habsburg rule in the Netherlands and ended with the Treaty of London in 1604. One of the most important aims of English Catholics and their allies during the conflict was the removal of Elizabeth I from the English throne and the installation of a Catholic monarch, thereby ending Protestantism in England. This activity culminated in the Armada of 1588.
Processing Information
Processed by Folger Shakespeare Library staff.
Acquisition Information
The Folger Shakespeare Library acquired the volume from Sotheby’s on January 30, 1956 (no. 409).
Provenance
The documents possibly originated in the archives of the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See. More than likely they were bound together in the early seventeenth century. At some point in the nineteenth century, the volume was acquired by Sir Thomas Phillipps (MS 2753). The volume was more than likely sold during the dispersal of Phillipps' collection after his death in 1872.
Arrangement
Documents are bound in no particular order.
Scope and Content
This collection is comprised of nineteen contemporary copies of documents (one incomplete) concerning Anglo-Spanish affairs between 1570 and 1604 (mostly dating from the 1580s), bound together in a limp vellum binding. Specifically they concern Catholic plans to conquer England and Scotland during the Anglo-Spanish War. Their endorsements and other internal evidence suggest that items may have been in the files of the Spanish embassy to the Holy See.
Items include copies of the 1570 papal bull excommunicating Elizabeth I (leaves 1-2); a detailed plan to land an army in Scotland (leaves 6-15); a detailed summary of conditions (including a detailed consideration of the Catholic peers) in England, attributed to William Allen (leaves 16-21); the 1587 agreement between Sixtus V and Philip II concerning the invasion of England and deposition of Elizabeth (leaves 22-24); the political alignment of the nobility in Scotland (leaves 41-42); copy of a petition from English Catholics to Pope Gregory XIII urging an expedition against England (leaves 33-38); letters from Jean Vendeville, bishop of Tournai to Pope Sixtus V, concerning English affairs (leaves 43-52 and leaves 79-83); a copy of the Pope’s letter to Philip II concerning the elevation of William Allen to the cardinalate (leaves 53-54); the demands of the Duke of Lennox (leaves 55-56); a 1583 letter from Philip II to Elizabeth I (leaves 57-60); and a 1583 account on Scottish matters by Henri, duc de Guise (leaves 69-72).
The titles used in this finding aid are derived from the endorsements on each document. According to a letter from Garrett Mattingly to Giles Dawson, dated July 6, 1956, "a dozen of them have been either printed or described ... all from other copies either at the Vatican or at Simancas. I've seen two others, one in Rome, one in Spain."
Other Formats
Transcripts of these manuscripts are included in
De conquestu Angliae per Hispanos, tempore Elizabethae reginae, 1588 ... / impensis, & cura Dni. Thomae Phillipps, bart. (1869)
Bibliography
William Allen,
The Letters and Memorials of William, Cardinal Allen (1532-1594),ed. and intro. Thomas Francis Knox (London: David Nutt, 1882).
Calendar of Letters and State Papers Relating to English Affairs, Preserved Principally in the Archives of Simancas, ed. Martin A.S. Hume, vol. 3 (London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1892-1899).
De conquestu Angliae per Hispanos, tempore Elizabethae reginae, 1588, ed. Thomas Phillipps (Middle Hill: Jacob Rogers, 1869).
Garrett Mattingly, "William Allen and Catholic Propaganda," in
Aspects de la propagande religieuse (Geneva: Droz, 1957), 325-339.
Arnold Oskar Meyer,
England and the Catholic Church under Queen Elizabeth (London: K. Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., 1916), 520, note 1.
Thomas Phillipps,
The Phillipps Manuscripts: Catalogus librorum manuscriptorum in bibliotheca D. Thomae Phillipps, intro. A.N.L. Munby (London: Holland Press, 1968), no. 2753.
Availability
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Preferred Citation
[Item title and date], De conquestu Angliae per Hispanos, Folger MS G.b.5 [foliation of item], Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC.
Allen, William, 1532-1594
Guise, Henri, duc de, 1550-1588
Lennox, Esmé Stuart, Duke of, ca. 1542-1583
Vendeville, Jean de, 1527-1592
Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533-1603
Philip II, King of Spain, 1527-1598
Sixtus V, Pope, 1520-1590
Pius V, Pope, 1504-1572
Phillipps, Thomas, Sir, 1792-1872, former owner.
England and Wales. Sovereign (1558-1603 : Elizabeth I)
Spain. Sovereign (1556-1598 : Philip II)
Catholic Church. Pope (1585-1590 : Sixtus V)
Catholic Church. Pope (1566-1572 : Pius V)
Catholic Church -- England -- Early works to 1800 --Manuscripts
Catholic Church -- Scotland -- Early works to 1800 -- Manuscripts
Spain -- Foreign relations -- England -- Early works to 1800 -- Manuscripts
Spain -- Foreign relations -- Scotland -- Early works to 1800 -- Manuscripts
England -- Foreign relations -- Spain -- Early works to 1800 -- Manuscripts
Scotland -- Foreign relations -- Spain -- Early works to 1800 -- Manuscripts
Manuscripts, Latin -- 16th century
Manuscripts, Spanish -- 16th century
Manuscripts, Italian -- 16th century
Additional access
For the Hamnet record, and / or to conduct additional research in Hamnet, see http://shakespeare.folger.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=233049
Sentencia contra la Reina d'Inglaterra
G.b.5, leaves 1-2
2 leaves
1570
Copy of
Regnans in Excelsis, the 1570 bull of Pius V excommunicating
Elizabeth I, declaring her be a heretic and releasing all her subjects from any allegiance to her.
Discurso de fraqueta sobre este nuevo Rei de Inglaterra
G.b.5, leaves 3-5
3 leaves
[1603?]
Discurso hecho en paris por el nuncio y los que con el se juntaron sobre la Reducion de Scocia y Inglaterra
G.b.5, leaves 6-15
10 leaves
undated
Including a detailed plan to land an army in Scotland.
Breve sumario del estado presente de las cosas de Inglaterra
G.b.5, leaves 16-21
6 leaves
[1585?]
An interesting accound of the state of the Catholics in England, with detailed consideration of the Catholic peers - Norfolk, Cumberland, Southampton (the two latter minors under Catholic tutors) - and their chief enemies - Leicester, Huntington, etc. Also of English defences, ports, etc. Attributed to William Allen.
For more on this attribution, see G. Mattingly, "William Allen and Catholic propaganda," in Aspects de la propagande religieuse, 1957, p. 325-339.
Concordia entre Sixto quinto y el Rey nuestro señor sobre la Impressa de Inglaterra
G.b.5, leaves 22-24
3 leaves
[1587]
Copy of 1587 agreement between
Pope Sixtus V and
Philip II of Spain concerning
Elizabeth I.
Discursos sobre lo que toca a la conquista de Inglaterra
G.b.5, leaves 25-32
8 leaves
undated
Addressed "Beatmo. Padre," presumably Pope Sixtus V.
Alcuni raggioni et motivi per rappresentare alla su Santita e gli Principi Christiani per aiutare gli Cattolici d'Inghilterra e stirpare gli heretici
G.b.5, leaves 33-38
6 leaves
before 1585
Copy of a petition from English Catholics to Pope Gregory XIII urging an expedition against England.
Relacion de lo que a passado en lo de la paz con Inglaterra i el estado que tiene esta platica
G.b.5, leaves 39-40
2 leaves
[1604]
Division de la nobleza de Scocia en catolicos y ereges y otro genero que llaman politico dada por guillermo de tori
G.b.5, leaves 41-42
2 leaves
1582 November 1
Concerning the political and religious alignment of the nobility in Scotland.
Cartas a su Santidad sobre la empressa de Inglaterra de Juan Vendriulio clergio
G.b.5, leaves 43-52
10 leaves
between 1585 and 1590
Copy of letter from Jean Vendeville, bishop of Tournai to Pope Sixtus V, concerning English affairs.
Las causas por donde importa mucho al servicio de Dios, i causa de la religion de Inglaterra abreviar la promocion del padre Alano
G.b.5, leaves 53-54
2 leaves
[1587?]
Copy of Pope Sixtus V letter to Philip II concerning the elevation of William Allen to the cardinalate.
Lo que pide el duque de Lenox para la conquista de Inglaterra y Escocia
G.b.5, leaves 55-56
2 leaves
1582 March
The demands of Esmé Stuart, Duke of Lennox.
Referenced in a May 18, 1582 letter from Juan Bautista de Tassis to Philip II (see Calendar of State Papers (Spanish), vol. 3, no. 266)
Respuesta de su Magestad a la empressa de Inglaterra
G.b.5, leaves 57-60
4 leaves
1583 September 24
Copy of letter from
Philip II of Spain to
Elizabeth I.
Lo que Su Magestad dize cerca las Escortaciones que diversas vezes se Le an echo en nombre de su Santidad para que se encargue de la reducion del Reino de Inglaterra
G.b.5, leaves 61-68
8 leaves
1586-1587
see Cal. state papers (spanish) v. 3 no 427?
Relacion de Ercules
G.b.5, leaves 69-72
4 leaves
1583 June 13
An account concerning Scottish matters by
Henri, duc de Guise.
Relacion que dieron el dotor alano y el padre Roberto y guillermo tristan en materia de Scocia
G.b.5, leaves 73-78
5 leaves
1583 July 18
Concerning Scottish matters, William Allen, and Robert Parsons.
Respuesta de su Magestad al negocio de Inglaterra que vino en carta es la que se dio en Madrid al Nuncio
G.b.5, leaves 79-80
2 leaves
1583 September 24
Carta para su Santidad de Juan benduilio pres Vitero
G.b.5, leaves 81-83
3 leaves
1586
Copy of letter from Jean Vendeville, bishop of Tournai to Pope Sixtus V, concerning English affairs.
Avertimenti a Nostro signore sopra le cose d'Inghilterra
G.b.5, leaves 84-96
13 leaves