[April 12, 1609. After describing a new English expedition to Virginia,—Lord Delaware's.] Your Majesty will see the great importance of this matter for your Royal Service, and thus, I hope, will give orders to have these insolent people quickly annihilated.
b. Velasco (Zuñiga's Successor at the English Court) to the King of Spain; June 14, 1610
[After reporting the news of the terrible winter of 1609 in Virginia] Thus it looks as if the zeal for this enterprise was cooling off, and it would be easy to make an end of it altogether by sending out a few ships to finish what might be left in that place.
[The Spanish Council report upon this letter to the King, and add: "It appears to the Council that this should be communicated to the Council of War ... and that it be asked to state what will be right and proper to do, the supply of ships and whatever else may be needful for that purpose. Y. M. will command what shall be done." This is indorsed, with the King's signature, "It is well.">[
c. Digby (English Ambassador at Madrid) to King James
[September 22, 1612.] There is nothing so generally spoken of in the Courte as their intent to remove Our plantation from Virginia. And, for myne owne parte, I am of beliefe that the Spaniards will serve us as thei did the Frenchmen in Florida [Ribault's colony] unless wee undertake the business much more thoroughly and roundely then hitherto wee have donne.[11]
[November 12, 1612.] I got a view of his [Zuñiga's] dispatch [by bribing some Spanish official, of course]. The chief matters were ... that there was no cause to apprehend so much danger in Virginia ... that he held it not unlikely the Business might sinke of itselfe, since it was maynteyned but by these shifts, which could last but for a yeare or two....
[For some months after the above, however, Digby sends frequent warnings of a Spanish expedition which he thinks is preparing against Virginia (Brown, Genesis, 603, 609, 623); but May 13, 1613, he writes again to James I:]
... theire resolution is not to stirre therein until they shall be better informed ... they are yet in a greate hope that the businesse will fall of itselfe. [Cf. other letters to the same effect, May 22, May 26, Aug. 15, in Brown's Genesis, 634, 635, 656.]