ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS am indebted to the Director of the Archivo General de Simancas, Señor Amando Represa, for permissionto publish in whole or in part the many documents from the Sección de Estado that are included in this volume and to the Director of the Biblioteca Nacional in Madrid for permissionto transcribe the survivingcopy of the Constable of Castile's report on England from Manuscritos Varios vol . 6949. Transcripts of Crown-Copyright records in the Public Record Office appear by
I
permissionof the Controller of H.M. Stationery Office . The portions of two letters of Philip III to his ambassadors in Rome are transcribed by courtesy of the Director of the Archivo de la Embajada cerca la Santa Sede in the Ministry of ForeignAffairs in Madrid. would also like to express my deep gratitude to the Directors of the Penrose Fund of the American Philosophical Society, The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the Folger Shakespeare Library for their generous support while gathering the materials which are included in this edition . will always remain under obligation for the advice and encouragement of Fr. Basil FitzGibbon , S. J. and the late Fr. Leo Hicks, S. J. when first undertaking this project . The patience and courtesy of the general editors of this series , Mr. Allison and Dr. Rogers , are known to all students of recusant history . Mr. Philip Harris has generously provided expert assistance in preparingthis manuscript for the press. The mistakes that survive are my own.
I
I
Fordham University
A.J.L.
vi