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fol.5vAddressed: To the right honorable the Lordes and others of her Majesties most honorable privy Councell
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Later Addition: Belgia 1589. July 9.
It may please your LL. the 2 of this moneth, I receaved your LL. letter of the 19 of June, and according to that whiche is first required, and is likewise mentioned in her Majesties letter to the Gene- rall states, I have signified unto them her Highnes intention, as touching those general Articles which were sent unto them by their Deputies: and I have moved them further, aswell by writing, as by worde of mouth, to suche effect as your LL. willed, and may appeere by the Copie heereinclosed, about the enlarging of their Deputies Commission, and also for encreasing their number, if they should thinke it so expedient. The Generall Articles were not sent unto me in Frenche, as they were delivered to the Deputies: and therfore I thought best to referre them to those, whiche the Deputies had already re- ceaved, lest the difference of translations should minister occasion of some scruple. In their Answear, whiche they delivered presently by worde of mouth, after speciall thankes to her Majestie for the singular care which she hath alwaies shewed for the welfare of these Contreis, they declared unto me, that unles they receaved the Articles from /me/ in Autenticall forme, as sent unto them expressely from her Majestie they might not otherwise accept them. where- uppon I signified againe, that the Autenticall copie was in Englishe; and so sent unto me: but their Deputies had receaved them in Frenche, whereto I was the willinger to referre them for the avoiding of all ambiguitie in the diversitie of translations. Nevertheles because they required to have them so directly from me, I sent for those, whiche for the more assurance I had in a readines translated; and delivered them presently: of which I send fol.3vBesides the Generall Articles, I have also receaved those particular notes, whiche your LL. will me to communicat with some persons in privat, for the better advancement of the service: wherein uppon sight of that Answear, whiche they shall deliver, I will proceede as carefully as I may, and as the state of thinges heere will give me leave. For it fareth otherwise heere, then happely your LL. may have thorowly understoode: for that there are divers in this place, that grieve exceedingly, to see the badde correspondence which is kept with her Majestie and in that respect are very forwarde to putte their helping handes to effect the redresse. Howbeit in suche a time as this of disunion, and in maters of suche importance, I knowe they dare not enter into privat conference with any minister of her Majestie without the privitie of some sprincipall actors: and that for suche causes as I have delivered Master Se- cretary, and I presume his H. will impart with your LL., if I have written any thing therein that fol.4v
is worthy to be signified. Notwithstanding as muche in that respect as may be couvertly and conveni- ently perfourmed, I will not omitte, as opportunities are offered, to accomplishe to the uttermost.
Wheras your LL. doe further require, to have the Generall states solicited in the behalf of those cap- taines in England, which are of these Contreis, whose particular griefes I have receaved in writing, it may please yow to be advertised, that Master Caron hath travailed heere of late very painfully in those causes, and is newly remitted for a finall answear, to Count Maurice in Zeland: for whiche he departed above 10 daies since from the Hage. wheruppon I thought it behoofull to attend your fur- ther direction, uppon your LL. liking or disliking of their Answear. Whiche course I am the willinger to folowe, for that I am assured, notwithstanding that some of those Captaines are most apparantly wronged, there can not be any sute preferred to the states at this present, wherto they will worse endure to be pressed by her Majestie then the sute of those Captaines. As touching my L. Willoughbies cause, [In margin: Touchinge the L. Willughby.]
whiche is the last point of your LL. letter, I hope yow have receaved my proposi- tion to the states in that behalf, and their Answear unto it, as also my Replie againe, and particular specification of those pointes, which they nether have nor can verifie against him. Since the delivery of those pointes, albeit I have earnestly insisted to knowe their Answear, I could never hitherto drawe any thing from them but delaies. For by conference with divers, and Master Gilpin in speciall, who hath bin many times a party, and almost al- waies present at all those actions, I have bin tho- rowly informed, that my L. is charged in them very unjustly. Nevertheles uppon the instance whiche I have used againe, uppon the receat of thes[e] fol.5r
Your LL. last letters, they have made me Ans- wear, that their Deputies in England have all their papers and notes concerning those causes, and that my L. himself hath proposed his owne griefes, and shalbe answeared by their Deputies: wherof for that I have had no notice, nether from my L. nor any other, I knowe not howe I may proceede any further, lest perhaps some incongruitie should escape in our doinges, when thinges are dealt in without mutuall privitie, whiche wilbe quickly espied and urged by the states. Nevertheles I trust we shall con- curre in substance, which wilbe sufficient for my L. discharge. And so I take my humble leave. From the Hage. July 9. 1589. Your LL. most humble to commaund Tho. Bodley