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Endorsed: To Master Secretary 16 January 89

Later Addition: Belgia 1590 sti: Rom 16 January. To Master Secretary

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It may please your H. I signified in my former what comunicaonn passed upon my first meeting with P Buis. This daie he was with mee againe & entred into furder comunication conference / In the generall assembly which is held at this present by the States of Holland, among other matters yt wilbe proposed & as he thinkes concluded that Count Maurice shall have by privy counsell of Hollanders assigned, to bee continually attendant upon him, which will tend yn the end to plain dissolution of the Counsell of State, For yt should seme by theyr daily proceedinges that they care to mainteyne yt but for fashions sake & for an outward shew of observing the Contract, whereas yt is intended among them selves, that matters of weight shalbe alwaies handled apart & in their secret assemblyes, Moreover by way of discowrse he signified unto mee, that yf hir Majesty shal refuse the Souveraine protection of these contreys, & bee more desirous to conclude a peace with the K.then to continew at this charge & in these termes with this people. there ys very likely meanes to effect yt, to hir Majestyes good liking & the Contreys contentment. For the present State of the kinges affaires considered ther is no question in his opinion, but that the liberty of conscience & the fruition of their privileges, which are the principall causes that moved these contreys to put them selves to armes, wilbe accorded unto them in as ample maner, as they have reason to request One of the hardest points will consist in suborning fytt parsons, by whose interposition it may be brought into treaty which hee thinkes notwithstanding wilbe easlie compassed yf hir Majesty bee that way enclined. The late petition presented to the K by the States of Artois & Hennault will /give/ do a great furderance to the matter. For as I have hard & as Master Buis doth assure mee a speciall cause of Richardolts errand into Spaine was to parsuaide the [P] in their behalf to growe to a peace with these united provinces for that yt was unpossible for them to continew their excessive charges in these warres without some traffique with theyr neybours.

Also to the purpose of that whereof your H heretofore hath requested to bee certifyed from mee, to wytt as touching the affection which is borne by this people unto Fraunce, yt may please your H to understand that there are 4 or 5 of the generall states which upon every good newes that cometh from thens give out such speeches, give out in their private conventicles as yf theyr onely salvation must come from that K. and as yf they would presently fetch him hether in procession. nevertheles the farr greater prote of theyr assembly, & for ought I can proceave the whole counsell of State & the cominalty in most places as I learne by Monsieur Buis will acknowlege no other to bee fyt for their protection but hir Majesty what bad [prosuasion] may do in processe of time with an inconstant people, it is [much] to be feared, for doutles those few buisy bodies, have alwaies taken such opposyt & offensive courses to hir Majesty, that they think their sinne to be greater then can be prodoned, & in that respect will do their uttermost endevour to suppresse hir Majesties autority in this Contrey: Notwithstanding the report of the messenger sent hether from [Beek], whereof I made mention in my former, the States are parsuaded that there is vittuals in the towne for a longer time & therfor use the lesse speed in taking any resolution howbeit they have dealt with a marchant upon certaine conditions which are accorded between them, who hath promised to buy a quantity of Corne in Cullen and to adventure by water to bring yt into the Towne, which they think will fol.16v
serve the towne to supply the present necessity, until such time as their forces by water where they have assigned 12 ships of warre, may be able to bring them furder relief, howbeyt all this is don with out the liking of their martiall men here, who think yt unpossible to do any good. As far as I can conjecture yt is rather to content them of Guelders, by seeming to do theyr uttermost to save the Towne, then for any hope they conceave of good sucesse yn the enterprise for yt is feared that by the next wee shall heare that the garrison hath compounded with the Enemy. Hag. January 16. 89