Se trata de uno de los varios textos titulados ´declaración de causas´ o ´declaración de causas justas [de guerra]´ dictados por la reina Isabel I, que funcionan a la vez como edictos de guerra y como propaganda política. En este último sentido, los textos son a menudo editados en traducción a varios idiomas. Todos ellos tienen como trasfondo el desastre de la Invencible y el miedo inglés a un nuevo ataque español a sus costas. Este texto, del año 1596, se ofreció, entre otros idiomas, en latín e inglés, que son los que aquí editamos.

Antonio Cortijo Ocaña
University of California, Santa Barbara

[1] Declaratio causarum serenissimam maiestatem reginae Angliae moventium ad instruendam atque emittendam classem ad regnorum suorum defensionem contra vires regis Hispaniae, &c.

Omnibus ad quos hae pervenerint, salutem. Nos, Robertus comes Essexia &c. & Carolus baro Howardus de Effingham magnus admiralibus Angliae, &c., quibus regiae classis a serenissima principe ac domina, D. Elizabetha Dei gratia regina Angliae, Franciae & Hiberniae, &c. iam instructae atque emissae cura demandata est omnibus notum testatumque facimus dictam classem sub nostra administratione a sua maiestate ad propria ipsius regna, dominia ac subditos propugnandos institutam atque adornatam esse contra ingentes vires quae (uti ex orbe Christiano certiores undique reddimur) ab Hispaniae rege parantur, militeque ac navibus aliunde hinc inde accersitis indies augentur, ad maiestatis suae regna invadenda ut alias iam pridem anno Domini [2] 1588 eo ipso tempore quo tractatio communi utriusque partis consensus suscepta a commissariis utrinque institutis agitaretur, summis copiis attentatum fuit quamquam divina bonitas probatissima fidelium subditorum maiestatis suae fortitudine ac prudentia regis illius conatus irritos esse voluerit. Cum vero maiestas sua cum aliis omnibus reipublicae Christianae principibus pacem & amicitiam inviolate colat, uno Hispaniae rege excepto, qui plurimis iam annis iniquissimam hostilitatem variis ipsius conatibus proditam, tum in regiam maiestatis suae personam, tum in populos ac provincias eidem subiectas palam professus est. Nos igitur praesati Robertus comes Essexia & Carolus baro Haward admirallius [isic] omnes certiores facimus nobis a maiestate sua impensissime mandatum esse ne hac nostra profectione cuique hominum cuiuscunque tandem nationis fuerint, damnum a nostris quovis modo inferri sinamus exceptis tantum regis Hispaniae subditis atque aliis quos eidem regi virorum, navium, tormentorum, commeatus aliorumve ad bellum attinentium praesidia, in maiestatem suam subministrare constiterit. Nos vero clementissimo huic maiestatis suae instituto obsequenter insistere statuimus. Omnibus igitur ac singulis qui comitatui nostro intererunt sub gravissimis poenis serio iniungimus ut hoc ipsum integre observent. Ad omnem tamen controversiam evitandam quinam tandem manifesti regis Hispaniae auxiliatores a nobis haberi possint ut quorum ope vires eiusdem terra marive in serenissimae reginae provincias magis instructae auctaeque videantur, eos omnes qui praedicto regi subiecti non sunt eidem tamen navium, victus atque armorum in belli huius usum accessionem aliquam forte concesserint, in Dei nomine diligenter rogamus atque monemus ut ex Hispaniae ac Lusitaniae portubus a[3]deoque ex comitatu illo Hispanico in classem nostram comparato, se naves aliaque sua ad belli atque hostilitatis prosecutionem spectantia, quam primum subtrahant:indeque ad suos revertantur, aut (si malint) ad nostras partes se recipiant quibus serenissimae reginae dominae nostrae dignissimo nomine interposito, tum personarum, tum rerum securitatem pollicemur, eosque veluti amicos propugnare decrevimus; naues vero aliaque ipsorum omnia quae vel in regis illius usus retenta eiusdemve obsequiis destinata fuerunt, ubi se subduxerint, suae ipsorum potestati integre permittemus, dummodo omni ex parte veluti amicos erga maiestatem suam atque nos regiae ipsius classis praefectos se gesserint. Quod si qui de clementissimo hoc maiestatis suae instituto nostraque ad hoc ipsum omni favore praestandum sponsione certiores facti oblatam hanc optime voluntatis propensionem sponte sua neglixerint neque operam dederint, qua aequissimae huic monitioni nostrae ad ipsorum commoda libertatemque spectanti, siat satis iustissima nobis tum demum eos omnes qui oblatam hanc amicitiae conditionem recusarint uti manifestos regis Hispaniae in maiestatem suam adiutores atque uti professos nobis hostes habenti proque belli iure excipiendi occasio praebebitur. Quo quidem eventu si quiddam in eisdem hunc in modum renuentibus, sive in persona, sive in navibus aliisve bonis a classiariis nostris inferri contigerit, id omne ea sola de causa ipsis accidisse intelligant quod dicto regi auxiliatores bellique socios se prebuerint. Nulla proinde iustae querelae ratio desumi hinc poterit cuius intuitu proprii ipsorum domini ac principes damnorum hunc in modum illatorum restitutionem, aut satisfactionem merito urgeant. Ad maiorem denique horum omnium notitiam atque fidem sub utriusque nostrum manu ac sigillo hasce volen[4]tibus inspiciendas edi voluimus. Typis quoque Gallice, Italice, Germanice ac Hispanice mandari iussimus eiusdemque exemplaria per Hispaniam & Lusitaniam passim quantum fieri potuit divulgari curavimus quo tandem illis in portubus res ipsa clarissime innotescat uti etiam in aliis portubus quibuscunque sub suis ditionibus & imperiis. Datae e regia maiestratis S. Grinwicensi 25 April. anno Domini 1596 regni vero ipsius 38.

Robertus Essexia      Carolus Howardus

[1] A declaration of the causes moving the Queenes Majesty of England to prepare and send a navy to the seas for the defence of her realms against the King of Spain’s forces, &c.

To all Christian people, to whom this declaration shall come to be read or heard, greetings. We, Robert, Earle of Essex, lord Setters of Chartley, Bourgheher, and Lovane &c. and Charles lord Howard, Baron of Essingham, Lord high Admiral of England &c., having the charge of a royal navy of ships, prepared and sent to the seas, by the smost excellent Princess the Lady Elizabeth, Queen of England, France and Ireland, &c. do give all men knowledge that the said navy under our charge is by her Majesty prepared and sent to serve on the seas for defence of her Majesties realms, dominions and subjects against such mighty forces as we are adversed from all parts of Christiandom, to be already prepared by the King of Spain, and by further provisions of men and ships dayly sent for, are to be mightily increased to in[2]vade her Majestie´s realms, as heretofore in the year of our Lord 1588 was attempted (even when there was a treatie continued by both their commissioners for a peace) with a greater army than ever before in his time was set to the seas, though by God´s goodwill, and the valor and wisdom of her noble and faithfull subjects, the same was notably made frustrated. And because her Majesty hath good intelligence of perfect amnesty with all kings and princes of Christendom, saving with the king of Spain, who hath this many years most brutfully professed openly great enimitity by divers actions, both against her royal person and her people and countries, without any just cause first given on her Majestie´s part. Therefore we the said Earl and Lord Admiral do ascertain all persons that we are most staightely commanded by her excellent Majesty to forbear from offending in this our voyage of any manner of persons of what nation so ever, except the said king´s natural subjects, or such others born strangers as shall give to the said king manifest aid with men, ships, artillery, victual, and other warlike provisions for invasion of her Majesty. Which her Majestie´s commandment we mean dutifully to observe and do therefore give straight charge to all persons that shall serve in this navy underneath us upon pain of extreme punishiment to observe the same. Yet to avoid all occasions that may breed question who they are, being not the king of Spain’s subjects, that shall be charged by us to be manifest aiders for the furnishing and strengthening of the said king´s forces, provided either by land or sea, to attempt any invasion of her Majestie´s countries’. We do for the liquidation of the doubt, earnestly in God´s name, require and charge all persons that are not the said king´ natural subjects, and yet that have given him aid with their ships, victual, and munition, as is above said, to withdraw all their said ships prepared for the war and all their provisions of hostility out of any battens [sic] of Spain or Portugal, or from the company and service of the king´s ships against our navy, and therewith to return either to their own countries, or if they so shall like to come to our navy, to whom in the reverend name of our soveraign Lady the Queen’s Majesty, we do promise all security, both for their persons and [3] goods to be used and defended as friends, and to suffer all their ships and provisions that were either taken by the king of Spain or intended for his service, or that shall be by the owners´ withdrawn from his aid, to remain in their own free dispositions so as the same be used in all forces as friends and not as enemies to the Queen´s Majesty and to us her generals. And if any shall open knowledge of this her Majestie´s most honorable order and of our promise (to observe the same as favourably as we may) willingly and manifestly refuse to accept this our offer and shall not endevour themselves to perform this reasonable request, tending to their good and liberty, we shall then be justly moved as by the law of arms we may to take and use all such so refusing this our offer as manifest aiders of the king of Spain, with forces to invade her Majestie´s dominions and so manifest enemies, and in such case of that refusal, if any harm shall happen by any attempt against their persons, ships & goods by any our navies, for the aiding of the said king, there shall be no just cause for them hereafter to complain or to procure their natural princes and lords to solicite restitutions or amends for the same. And for the more notification hereof, we have thought good to have the original hereof to be signed with our hands and with out seales, to be seen by any that will require to read or see the same. And likewise we have put the same in print in French, Italian, Dutch, and Spanish, and have also caused the same to be distributed into as many ports of Spain and Portugal as conveniently might be for the better knowledge to be had in the said ports as also in all other parts under his subjection.

R. Essex.  C. Howard.