addressleaf
fol.83vLater Addition: November 1588
Endorsed: Instructions for Master Bodley.
Later Addition: Copie of Master Bodlies Instructions. November 1588.
lettertext
fol.81r
By the Queene;
Whereas we have thought meete to call home our servaunt Henry Killi- grewe, for some tyme, both for our owen service, and for his owen causes, who presently supplyeth the place of a Cownsellor for us in the Cownsell of Estate in the united provinces of the Lowe Countryes agreable to the contracte made on our parte with the States Generall: we have therfore made especiall choice of you to supplye that place for the tyme of our sayed Servaunts absence, with the assistaunce of our Servaunt George Gilpin who ys to serve in place of an Interpreter, for that (as we ar informed) they use the Flemish tongue in the treatinge and debatinge of causes amongest them selves.
Our pleasure therefore ys that at your commynge thither you shall instruct your self in such matters as have heretofore been committed unto our sayed servaunt Henry Killegrewe to deale in with the sayed Generall States, and with the Counsell of Estate and others of those Contryes touchinge our service, and to knowe from him, to what pointes he hath not [received] aunswere from them, to th'end you maye the better deale, and proceade with the States to procure their spedy aunswere to our satisfaction.
And for that we have committed dyverse thinges to our trusty and welbeloved servaunt Sir John Norrys his charge, to be communicated unto the sayed States (as may appere by the copy of his Instructions): We thinck yt meete that such thinges as shall not be by him finished, for lacke of tyme, or for that he shall not fynde the States Generall assembled at the tyme of his repayre thither, or contynuaunce there, that you do sollicite the same, and send unto us their aunsweres in that behaulf.
[...]
And whereas we have heretofore recommended unto the sayed States Generall Coronell Shinck, and dyverse others (of both whose names & causes ye shall receive particuler information from our Secretary) who, as we ar informed, in steed of favour have received from them, very hard measure whereby they do laye open unto the world their owen ingratitude toward us, to no small touch of our honour, to see us had in a kynd of contempt by those that ar so infinitely bound unto us, as they ar, a matter so publiquely knowen, as yt needeth no debatinge: Our pleasure therefore ys that you shall deale most ernestly with them in movinge them to yeld u[s] better contentement hereafter in this behaulf, then heretofore they have d[one] aswell fol.81vAmongest other thinges fit to be remembred unto them, you shall let them understand, that we hearinge that the States Generall do oft tymes dissolv[e] and that the Cownsell of Estate have their authority so restrayned, as they cannot uppon such extraordinary eventes as fall out in those contreys, full of perill and daunger, and requyre spedy resolution, yeld that tymely remedy that were expedient, Do thinck yt moste convenient (thenemy beeinge so
[C]ontinuance of assem- [b]l[es, or inlargement of authoritie of the Counsel.]
stronge as he ys in the field) that you do advice them in our name to contynew their assemblies, or els to enlarge the authority of the Cowncell of Estate: But before you deale herein we would have yow particulerly enfourme your self both by our servaunt Henry Killegrew, and others of the Cownsell of Estate, that you shall lerne by him to be men of best judgement and best affected to the good of those Contreys, what were fit in parti- cularities to be urged in our name in that behaulf, to thend yow maye proceade therein with the better effect./And whereas we have been given to understand as well by letters from the L. Willoughby unto us, as from our Servaunt Henry Killegrew, that the last Instructions given by the States generall to the Cownsell of Estate,
Reformation of Instructions.
conteyne sondry pointes that ar directly repugnant to the Contract which they have made with us, as ys plainely set downe both by Doctor Clerke and our servant Robert Beale, who have had the view and consideration of them: Our pleasure therefore ys, that yow shall deale with the States moste ernestly for the spedy reformation and redresse thereof in such sorte as the contract passed betweene us and them be not any way abridged or infringed by them./And for that we fynd that by reason of the Licences graunted by th[e] States, and by other meanes underhand used by the Kinge of Spaines ministers, the sayed Kinge and his Armados have heretofore been furnished from thence of greate store, both of Cordage, grayne, and sondry other
Inhibition of trade with certaine como- ditis to the K. Spaine.
provisions, without the which, he had never been able, to set forth to the Sea[s] so huge an Army, and so well stored with all kynd of necessaries, whi[ch] (as since yt hath been proved) he mynded to have employed against this our Realme, had not God of his greate goodnes broken his ambitious desai[gne] fol.82rLater Addition: Unfinished