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Endorsed: To Master Secretary September 10. 89
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Later Addition: Belgia 1589 September Master Secretary from M Bodly
Yt may please your H. to advertise my LL. of the Counsell, that this day I Rxd theyr letter of the 30 of Auguste, wherein they require me to move the generall States to take some speedy order for the repairing of the fortificacions of Oostende, howbeit for that the Deputies of Holland are gon from hence to Count Maurice, there wilbe no meeting of the rest till they shall returne, for whom we looke every houre & at theyr next assembly I will signify that unto them. which I have Rxd in charge & certify theyr answer. This bearer hath made me acquainted with such letters & effectes requestes as he hath bin moved to sollicite for those of Frise. But for mine owne parte I see no likelehood of any good that wilbe don either for them or for any of those els where that stand uppon like termes with these countreys except a finall conclusion be taken betweene her Majesty & them, for the according of all thinges in question, or els that yt will please her Highnes to disavow by publick acte these two last yeares muteneyes in sondry places. Which they say have all bin raised upon pretence of doing service to her Majesty. As touching those offers that have bin made by some of Harlingen. as likewise by some others els where of the Province of [Phrise], who as he doth signify unto mee desire nothing more then to surrender up all into hir Majestyes handes, I can not say any thing because I neither know the parties, nor theyr strength, but there ar many such courtesyes, which ar often proposed in communicacion unto mee, & I have by all probability to bee but motions of discontented parsons, who see not parfectly into the state of theyr affaires. & cannot any way parforme as they will seem to parmyse. Concerning the practiz with those of Groeninghen, which wilbe also imparted by this bearer to your H. I can say but littell not knowing thorouly the state of the Towne, theyr [affectyons] to hir Majesty, or dislike of the Spaniard nevertheles upon this occasyon I have had some conference heer with a speciall freind & one well acquainted with the affaires of those quarters, who doth hold yt very likely, to take good effect, & will give me farder informacion yf her Majesty wilbe pleased to harken to the motion Count William of Frise hath bin heer of late & conferred with the States about the stopping of the traffique & cariadge of vittuals to the Towne of Gronighen, which he hath proposed as a thing that may easily be effected, unles the Ennemy [.] against yt with very great forces. Whereuppon with some others that ar deputed from the generall states & the Counsell of State he ys gon to Count Maurice to confer & conclude how to execute his purpose. Above all mens expectation by gods miraculous working, the Ennemy having all thinges redy to passe the Wael in Bommel mutined on the suddayn as I signifyed in my last to your H. & immediatly after at [Middelier] not far from nieumeghen./ 20 ensignes of Italians were passed the Maese, but the Spaniardes wold not follow; & now agayne very lately at Huesden, ther hath growen som farder alteration among the souldiers, as thereuppon ther ar so many departed & in such sort fol.115v