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OTHER LETTERS CONCERNING SOLOMON ALDRED
SENT TO LORD WALSINGHAM

[From State Papers for the years in question]

Copy of his letter of December 18 1584
Postscript, dated 3 January, 1585. Aldred did not depart until yesterday. Calling upon him three days since, I found two Jesuits with him. I think one of them is the gentleman who is to come with Aldred . The night before they left, I promised to go next morning to take my leave, but in the morning early he sent his boy to tell me he was gone. Not giving credit to this, I went to the gate and walked a space out of the town to await their coming, which happened at nine o'clock. I viewed the gentleman with him, and he seemed to be "the very Jesuit."

I have sent a letter to Mr. Dydsbery at Rye that Aldred was coming with a Jesuit, that he may give intelligence to Mr. Gemer, who keeps the register of men's names to and fro, that they may be conducted to you. And I have given my man instructions to advise Dydsbery of his arrival at and departure from Rouen, so I hope they will not escape.

Jan. 25. 1585 Lord Stafford to Lord Walsingham.

The chief cause of my sending this bearer is to carry this packet to Batson, received from the Pope's nuncio. Aldred is somewhat long-tongued; you may do well to warn him, or he may do little pleasure to himself or those that deal with him; for he told a man of mine where “he that went with Tupper” was lodged here by me, and though my man is very honest, I did not mean him or any other to know it; which he might have seen by my manner of proceeding with them. He must be circumspect, if only for his own safety, for there are here eyes enough “that neither sleep nor wink.”



April 20 1586 John Foxley to Lord Walsingham.

Your letters tell me that her Majesty liked of my affectionate disposition and advised that I should remain here (Rouen), for avoiding suspicion.
Mr. Colerdin's letters and Mr. Aldred informed me of the clemency which Catholics have lately found, and that her Highness “is inclined to moderation of severity and reunion of her subjects in common society and assured amity. . . .”

My opinion is that this prudent relaxation will make men oppressed more sure than any, and cut off the colour which any stranger has had to disturb the State, salving wounds already inflicted and preventing all occasions of the future.
I have laboured to induce many, both English and foreigners, to conceive thus of your happy government. Some object the late executions, searchings, imprisonments and Parliament laws. “My answer is that policy teacheth no alteration to be in instanti whole and complete, but to proceed per gradus discretionis; some I satisfied; others I left in suspense. . . . I have often marvelled that you were not extremely cruel, and so I have said to many. Now that you stop the stream of passion with reason, I cannot write your deserved praise and renown.” This benefit of writing to you boldly I highly regard. Mr. Aldred certified me how willing you are to take anything I write in good part, and that you well like of me and my doings. If I could, I would make due recompense for this friendly information; but I trust you will perfect what I wish for him. “If Mr. Colerdin come presently to Rouen, he may deliver your pleasure to me, and my meaning again to your honour, of whom I think as of a noble friend.”—(Rouen), 20 April, 1586.



April 14–24 1586 Solomon Aldred to Walsingham.

.I wrote from Rouen of Mr. Gratley's grateful acceptation of your letter; also how Dr. Gifford had been sick and discontented. At my departure from Rouen, Gratley wrote a large letter to Dr. Gifford, persuading him to come away, and sent it by me, with the letter Gilbert Gifford had written to them both. At my coming to Paris, I dealt with my Lord Ambassador, according to your order; who got one to carry all our letters to Rheims.
I sent Dr. Gifford ten crowns to bring him hither, and at his arrival made it up to thirty. He came on foot, and being wearied, I gave him my boots, spurs and boot-hose to return back. He was to preach on Sunday afternoon, “and his text was pax vobis, at which he made me to laugh at our meeting. After dinner, the scholars looked that he should have gone into his study to provide for his sermon; mused much to see him walk in the garden, for his mind was running from pax to guarra. Yet, not-withstanding, he finished up his sermon, and the next morning came his way without saying a word to anyone, but took leave of Mr. Bayly, who supplieth Dr. Allen's room in his absence, but told him not whither he went. He asked him whether he meant to return shortly again. He told him yes,” ('is') or he would signify the cause.
Before Dr. G[ifford] arrived here, Mr. Gratley had found means to come without suspicion. I lodged them secretly in my lodging, where that night and next day they conferred together; “Dr. Gifford being somewhat green in the matter, though very willing to inveigh against them, yet very loath so to do it in such sort to put his credit in hazard; and hardly he could be brought to speak with my Lord Ambassador, though very willing, yet fearful lest it should be known.”
The second night, I brought my Lord secretly to them, where his sweet speeches and friendly entertainment gave Dr. Gifford such courage that, as he has told me since, the more he thinks of it, the more forward he is to perform it; that he has five or six scholars of the best who will follow his course, and that “he doth not doubt to bring Dr. Allen himself into this action, after he hath set Parsons and him at variance, if it be your pleasure he shall so proceed.” I think my Lord Ambassador will satisfy you of the reasons why he comes not presently, as he has signified to him, and also delivered to him in writing, which I am persuaded you will not mislike of.
Gratley “is so forward, that with great pain he doth refrain to declare himself an open professor in this proceeding, but doth bridle himself . . . that thereby there may be some notable piece of service brought to pass.” . . . Upon Gilbert Gifford's coming over, they will join in making a book to justify her Majesty's proceedings. I told him what a good opinion you had of Dr. Bagshaw, and that he should be delivered; “the which he was marvellous glad of, for he saith if he join with them in this action, they shall be marvellous strong, for that he hath an excellent good wit, and is not ignorant of the proceedings of the Jesuits, for that he hath tasted of it as well as they.” He wishes Gilbert Gifford might come presently over, that no time might be lost. I asked him what credit he had with the Spanish ambassador, to understand the affairs of Spain. He answered that very few Englishmen know his humour better, or could do more with him, “and that he hath been earnestly in hand to have him to live with him; but that in his heart he doth utterly hate a Spaniard.” Yet he has promised, if it be your pleasure, to remove from Rouen and come hither and employ himself that way, and “deliver to my Lord Ambassador continually the advice.” You may trust him, for he is at your commandment in anything.
Knowing Roger Early, servant or companion to the Earl of Westmorland; and heretofore servant to Mr. Gilbert, I begged him to return into England. I found him very ready, but he doubted, “because he broke prison out of the Clink when he came away; but I assured him to procure means to salve that sore.”
He told me he had dealt with the Earl to submit to her Majesty's mercy, and brought him to talk with me, who [the Earl] begged me to get the Ambassador to talk with him, and said he had laboured to speak with him, but he refused. I moved my Lord Ambassador, but he would not, till he had answer from you; but gave me leave to talk with him. “When he began to discourse to me of his lamentable estate, the tears ran down his eyes abundantly; he acknowledged his fault to be very great which he committed in his young days, when his head was green, and knew not what he did”; and said that if her Majesty would promise him grace, and a small pension to live on, whatever service she commanded him to do, he would do it so effectually, against the Spaniard or anyone else, that she should find herself satisfied for the past injury. And for anything done against her since his flying over, otherwise than the use of his conscience and to help his necessity, he will abide the trial.
I dare not write my opinion in this matter, yet am bound to signify the truth. I know that Charles Paget and he were at words within these few days; talking of the favour shown to the Catholics of late, “Paget inveighed against that proceeding, and the Earl replied that if her Majesty would but give him any promise, though it were with a condition, it should be a very hard one that he would not accept; whereupon Paget replied and said the Earl talked very simply, for that her Majesty would not let to give him fair promises to bring him in to cut off his head; so that they grew more into words, and the Earl told him that if he continued on with these proceedings . . . he could not live one year to an end. He answered that in Paris no man could hurt by day, and by night he would be sure not to stir abroad.”
And for Thomas Fitzherbert, for whom you promised to procure a discharge from the Marshalsey, but proceeded no further, from somewhat you heard about him, I stand the more in doubt of him too, “for when Bearden [or Rogers] and I fell at some words, he told me of certain speeches which he said that Mr. Arundel and Mr. Fitzherbert should tell him of me-which I was assured that I never spake . . . yet he said they would justify it to my face, but I knew his lying humour well enough.” He [Fitzherbert] has denied it all before my Lord Ambassador, and said he never heard any such speeches of me, nor ever had such talk with him, and has given me his letter to justify the same to his face. He has also offered to my Lord Ambassador to clear himself of any charge, which if he do, I pray you proceed with your good turns towards him. He has many enemies here, and if you give him over too, it were a great discomfort.
If Mr. Foster comes not within four days, I mean to go to Lyons. I will omit till the next to tell you how I have been abused here, for that my Lord Ambassador has the matter under consideration.—Paris, 24 April, 1586.
[Add. Endd. 2 pp. (S.P. Dom., Add., Eliz., XXIX. 102.)]





May 28 1586. Edward Foxley to Lord Walsingham.

Our friend's relation of your goodwill towards us encourages me to practise continually to deserve it. Aldred having told me that my Lord Ambassador was to be acquainted with our dealings, “I went with the other party, yet not imparting anything but our dutiful mind to her Majesty. I pray you, impute this rather to Aldred's simplicity than any presuming temerity; Mr. Gilbert doth by delivering your mind herein defend me from the like error hereafter.


and


Dec. 18/28 1586 William Lewckner to Lord Walsingham.

Being lately arrived in Lyons, my usual place of traffic, I found here Solomon Aldred, newly come from Rome, who, because he had been in England, had his stipend of ten crowns a month from the Pope taken away, and heard from his friends in Borne that he had committed so great an offence that if he went thither he would be “evil-entreated to the death.”
“Whereupon this poor snack, not having other means to live . . . was constrained to strain his conscience, God knows how,” and so obtained his stipend again, and is in more credit than ever, “insomuch as he is one of the inquisitors, and by making him once merry, he acknowledged so much.” As also that he expected one from Rome with whom he was to go to England, who managed all the affairs of Don John “d'Ostrie” in Flanders, and seems a notable person; who speaks good English and whose brother was Don John's confessor, conducted his corpse into Spain and then retired to Rome, and two months past was made Archbishop, but five days afterwards died. “Upon whose death this his brother is departed thence to come for England.”
Being doubtful what this party's voyage should mean, I tell you of it, having the more suspicion because Aldred a few days later, as if repenting what he had revealed, or wishing to let me know that he was in your favour, showed me “your sign” but no further, on letters newly received from you, written in October last. Ten days later, “he had drawn out” some three or four lines, as out of your letter, which he showed me as a passport for this gentleman's coming into England. If he was so determined to make me privy of his secrets, he might as well have shown me the whole letter.
Some three months past, a letter was written by Mr. Edward or Mr. Harry Unton (Hompton) to this gentleman's brother, deceased, which remained unsent and is now come to light. Aldred used “extreme speech” to the party for detaining it, but now does not wish it to be seen, as it concerns “this party.” I tell you this, fearing that the liberty you have given to this Aldred may embolden him to conduct into England such as may be to her Majesty's prejudice, “the party” being to-day departed thither. As I know Aldred to be a most malicious fellow, I would not have him know that I have written anything.