III Documents From State Archives, Stockholm144
Commission From Gustavus Adolphus to Sir James Spens
Gustavus Adolphus, Dei gratiâ, Svecorum, Gothorum, Wandalorumqe princeps hæreditarius; Magnus dux Finlandiæ, Esthoniæ Wesmanniæqe princeps, etc.
Gratiam favorem, singularemqe nostram benignitatem atqe clementiam etc. illustris et generose nobis sincere dilecte, domine Jacobe Spentz; non dubitamus qvin recenti in memoria habeas, qvid serenissimo potentissimoqe principi ac Domino, Domino CAROLO nono, Svecorum, Gothorum, Wandalorumqe regi etc. Domino et parenti nostro charissimo, laudatissimæ recordationis, sancte sincereqe promiseris, qvidve Sua Regia Majestas à te clementer suas per literas postulaverit. Cum itaqe bellum à rege Daniæ adversus Dominum parentem pie sancteqe prædefunctum, nos, nostramqe patriam iniqve susceptum continuetur, et nos ad reprimendos hostium impetus, milite etiam peregrino indigeamus, eam ob causam te qvam clementer rogatum volumus, ut cum ter millenis illis promissis, probatæ fidei spectatæqe fortitudinis militibus, et qvidem peditibus (equites enim non curamus) tuum ad nos reditum matures, omnemqe in id operam impendas, ut ad Calendas Aprilis, anni iam proximi seqventis, cum præfato militum numero armis necessariis probè instructo, in portu Elsburgensi comparere qveas. Hoc autem ut eò felicius faciliusqe præstare valeas, utqe nos absqe mora et tergiversatione, tuâ militumqe tuorum operâ adversus hostes nostros uti possimus, clementer tibi, vel plenam abs te potestatem habentibus viginti millenos imperiales, in civitate Hamburgensi, per serenissimæ reginæ, matris nostræ charissimæ, nostrosqe commissarios numerandos curabimus; clementer etiam atqe etiam desiderantes, ut eam, quâ serenissimo parenti, gloriosissimæ memoriæ, obligatus tenebaris, fidelitatem serenissimæ qvoqe matri nostræ, nobis, nostrisqe regnis præstare haud tergiverseris. Cum præterea certò nobis persvasum habeamus, hæc omnia, aliaqe salutem nostram, nostrorumqe regnorum incrementum concernentia (quæ iudicio tuo tuæqe discretioni relinqvimus), per te qvam diligentissime effectum iri, non dubitabis qvin ipsum id, qvemadmodum etiam qvicqvid in præfatos milites, ultra viginti millenos illos imperiales, nostro nomine impenderis, tibi à nobis, suo tempore, qvam clementissime compensetur. Porro tibi significandum duximus, nos cum duce nostro, nobis sincerè dilecto Johanne Mœnichovio, transegisse, ut millenos, omnibus necessariis armis probè instructos, milites pedites, ex Hollandia, vere primo, Elsburgam asportet. Si itaqe naves militesqe tuos navibus prænominati Mœnichovii adjunxeris, foret hoc nobis qvam gratissimum. Ita enim esset classis vestra hostium classi, si forte vobis obviam venerit, non modo par, verum etiam, ut bene speramus, longè superior. Qvod te haud celandum censuimus.
Hisce divini numinis protectioni te clementer commendamus. Ex arce Nycopensi, die 16 Novembris, Anni 1611.
Gustavus Adolphus.
M.P.
Illustri et generoso, copiarum nostrarum Britannicarum generali, Domino Jacobo Spentz, libero baroni in Wolmersthon, etc.
(Traces of a seal.)
Translation.
Gustavus Adolphus, by the grace of God, Hereditary Prince of the Swedes, the Goths, and the Vandals; Grand Duke of Finland, Prince of Esthonia, Westmannia, etc.
Our gracious favour, special benignity and grace, etc. Illustrious and noble, our truly and dearly beloved Sir James Spens; we have no doubt that you keep fresh in memory your sacred and true promise to the most serene and mighty Prince and Lord, Charles the Ninth, King of the Swedes, the Goths, Vandals, etc., our dearly beloved Lord and Sire, of highly extolled memory, (as to) what his Royal Majesty graciously required from you in his letters. Therefore, inasmuch as the war, unrighteously entered upon by the King of Denmark against our Sovereign Sire, predeceased in the odour of sanctity, against ourselves, and against our country, is continued, and we are in need of foreign soldiers as well [as native], wherewith to check the attacks of the enemy,—on this account we request you with all courtesy to hasten your return to us with those promised three thousand soldiers of proved faithfulness and bravery, and, namely, infantry (for we do not care to have cavalry); and that you will do your best to be present in Elfsborg Harbour by the first of April in this next coming year, with the before-mentioned number of troops, properly equipped with the needful accoutrements. Now, that you may be in a condition to do this the more successfully and easily, and that we, without delay and interruption, may be able to avail ourselves of your services and those of your soldiers against our enemies, we shall graciously order twenty thousand imperials, to be paid in the city of Hamburg, to you or to those fully authorized by you, through the agents of the Most Serene Queen, our dearly beloved Mother, and our own, urgently entreating you not to hesitate to observe the same loyalty by which you were held bound to our Most Serene Father of very glorious memory, to our Most Serene Mother also, to ourselves and our realms. Moreover, while we are surely persuaded that all these things, and others that concern our safety and the aggrandizement of our kingdom (which things we leave to your judgment and discretion), will be attended to by you with the utmost care, you will rest assured that the aforesaid sum, as also whatever you shall disburse in our name upon the above-mentioned soldiers over and above the twenty thousand imperials, shall be most graciously repaid by us at the proper time. Furthermore, we have thought right that it should be notified to you that we have arranged with our general, our truly beloved Johannes Mœnichovius, that he is to transport his thousand infantry, fully furnished with necessary arms, from Holland to Elfsborg in the beginning of the spring. If, therefore, you combine your fleet and army with the ships of the aforesaid Mœnichovius, we shall be extremely glad. For thus the combined fleet would be not merely equal to the enemy’s fleet, if it should chance to come in contact with you, but, as we are justified in hoping, far superior. And we have considered that this should not be concealed from you. Herewith we graciously commend you to the protection of the divine Deity (Power). From the Castle of Nyköping, November 16, in the year 1611.
Gustavus Adolphus.
(Sign manual.)
Letter from Sir Robert Anstruther to Sir James Spens.
Honarabile and my verie good Lord my best service remembred unto your selfe
in England all things are in lyke staite as you left I have recauite toe sundre letters from his Maieste, wharin he commands me to excuse his pairte, annent that leuie of men whitch coronell ramsay haith maide in scotland, he protests at it is score agienst his will and altogiddar disauutches the deede sainge at if he haide not heard of it in time, he haide biene the most dishonored prince by ther goinge, bot the are stayed and the men dissolued, except neere four hundreth145 that went awaye afore the kould be stayed, captaine Hay, and captaine Sinckler, and captain Allexander ramsay brother to the princes man, and good Sir herie brusse are chanched in norrowaye, and are all killd by the bourrs except some faue prisoners, whitch are send for to be examined and we looke for them daylie; the common bruict blames you to be ther heade bot I stifflie denie it, assuring the king that I deare giue my woorde for your Innocence; other neus heere ar none....
Faruell from Koppenhauen the 26 of September Anno 1612
your treue and affectionet
and seruant att all time
Robert Anstruther.
To the ryght honorable, and my very
good Lord: The Lord off Wormeston,
Ambassadour from His
Mtie of Great Brittaine to Sueden.
Letter from the Duke of Lennox146 “To the Right honorable my very good Lord My Lord Stainbuk Baron of Torpe and Overstaine, of his Matie priuie counsell of Sweden.”
My Lord this gentleman Williame Stuart my seruant whome I ame bond to doo for bothe for his fathers caus whome I did affect, as also for his own, haueing giuen sufficient proue of his good cariage, a yeare ago did lift a company of fotmen to serue His Matie of Sweden to his great Losse. Be reason that after he had sent before some parte of his company147 whiche was stayed in Norway, himself with the rest was stayed by the kings c̅o̅m̅andement{com}andement heare. Wherfore the gentleman hauing an earnest desyre to give proue of his affection to his Maties seruice could not be stayed be any persuasion of frends frome the said jornay: therfore out of the asseurance I doo giue my self of your Lps loue, I most recommend him to yr L favor, that for my caus you will vse the means to got him preferred, and what charge soever His Matie shall esteem him worthie of I wil bee answearable for his fidelitie and duetifulnes in the same and I shall reputed it ase a singulare pleasure done to my self and shall alwyse be reddy to requyte it and all other your L. kyndnesses in what soever occasion I can stand you in stead: therfore trusting in your furtherance for this gentlemans preferment I shall ever rest
Your Lps very Louing frend
Lenox.
Frome the Hage the 14 (19?) of Maj 1613.
Footnotes
Notes
144 In manuscript.
145 The true number was ascertained after the arrival of the prisoners at Copenhagen.
146 Son of Esme Stewart of Aubigny, the first favourite of King James I. His uncle, Robert, sixth earl of Lennox, having agreed to accept the earldom of March in exchange for that of Lennox, he, in March 1580, received a charter of the latter earldom, which a year later was erected into a dukedom.
147 Alexander Ramsay made no mention of these men in his deposition. (See page 145.)