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Philip III, King of Spain, letter to the Duke of Medina Sidonia(1609 June 11)

  • MS 2010.6
  • 1 item

In this letter to the 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia, King Philip III ( Sovereign, 1598–1621) acknowledges receipt of information concerning pirates on the coasts of southern Spain. He also asks for further information concerning the English settlement in Virginia.

Translation

The King

Duke of Medina Sidonia, cousin, of my Council of State, my Captain General of the Ocean Sea and of the Coast of Andalucia. Having seen your letter of the 18th of last month and the information you sent with it obtained from sailors arriving who had been robbed by the pirates, but you now offer nothing more than that you are looking into the matter. You will do me great service in continuing [to gather] intelligence about the designs of the corsairs and any [intelligence] that shows the English having interest in continuing to populate the land called Virginia in the Indies.

Done at San Lorenzo, 11 June 1609.

I the King

By order of the King, my Lord

Antonio de Arostequi