addressleaf

Endorsed: Remembraunces of Master James Digges.

Later Addition: See fol.258.

lettertext

fol.241r

Later Addition: Belgia.

Later Addition: Musters 1589 Remembrances of Master James Digges

First, that the States (according to their owne agreement with the MusterMaster generall in the Earle of Leycesters government,) doe establish Commissares resident in all Garrisons to Joyne with hir Majesties Commissaries to passe monethly Musters: the which (by their defaultes only) hath not bene hitherto dewly observed, as is offered to bee proved, yf they shall denye the same.

And for the tyme past to aucthorize some officer on their part to Joyne with the present Overseer of musters for hir Majestie to examyn and Comptroll the Muster Rolles, make up the Accomptes, and determyn the Checques. And that perfite Abreviates indented may bee kept mutually under thies officers handes, for a Record certaine of hir Majesties charges, and their debt upon Rembursement, to prevent Cavillinge hereafter./

That an Act in Councell may allso bee made, and some day assigned for them to bringe in all such debtes as they can require, to bee defaulked upon the paye of eny hir Majesties bandes or officers, with expresse Condicion that they shall never challendge hereafter from hir Majestie eny other debtes then suche (as shall (by sutch a daye) bee presented./

That the officer generall of Musters may have accesse unto them as often as occasion requireth, to present such matters as hee shall have for the advauncement of the service of hir Majestie and the Countrey, and that hee may receave ether Apostiles to his demaundes, or at the least Testimoniall of such Requestes as hee shall so present, for discharge of his dewtye.

That the ordinances for Musters (established by the Earle of Leicester and the States, & by Imprynted Placartes commanded and observed during the contynuance of the Muster Master generall) bee nowe allso contynued in Force. Or if ther bee any thinge Founde convenient to bee added, corrected, or altered, that the same bee done spedely with the Lo. Generalls consent, & published againe by proclamacion. For yf thinges should proceede still loosely in the present Confusion, the Inconvenyences will growe very greate in the Armye, besides the wastinge of hir Majesties Treasure, and generall Contempt of Discipline and good order./ And fol.241v
And forasmutch as synce the Anuntiacion last, there is an alteration of Establishment, & newe Rates for paymentes of officers & bandes sett downe different from the former: wherunto they have agreed. It is allso very expedient that they bee nowe likewise made ac- quaynted with this Establishment, and their Consentes be procured therto, before warrantes for full paye bee signed, for avoiding breache of Contracte on hir Majesties parte, and unnecessarie question upon Rembursement/

And for that it is affirmed by Master Hortell Agent for the States that they have aucthorized deputes to take Musters Jointly with hir Majesties officers according to the Contract, and that no deniall or delayes hath byn made by them at eny tyme to the prejudice of hir Majestie or weaknynge of the Forces: for as mutch as concerneth the 7400 horse and Foote sent over in their ayde: That hee sett the same down in writinge with such other excepcions as can bee taken in the former or present Course in the Musters by Officers on hir Majesties parte. To bee answered by Thomas Digges esquire late Muster Master, or James Digges gent his brother now executing his place: who averr ther shalbe no one thinge proved to have byn doone by them, or neglected to hir Majesties detryment, or breach of Contracte, in anye least poynte: Protesting the contrarye against them &c./

That no Accomptes bee finished farder then the xxvth of March untill the States generall their agreement bee procured unto the for- said newe Establishment, beginning from that tyme, by order from hir Majestie and the privie Councell, for avowing breach of Contract on hir Majesties parte, in the highest degree, wherof the Officer generall of musters is to bee admonished./

That wheras in the tyme of the Earle of Leicester his late Government, the said States cavilled with his Lop upon the fote of Accompt, wherby the bandes in hir Majesties paye should bee satisfied, his Lp. being their Governor (by over Ruling them) procured their Consent that the Accomptes should passe upon hir Majesties Rates not much different from theirs Computatis com- putandis: That they bee written unto to contynewe the same Course notwithstanding the Contract most strict against hir Majestie in that poynt: A manifest Indignitie and dishonour offered, to hir Majestie and our nacion, besides the generall Confusion, any alteracion therin would breede, wherein they are most likely to Cavill &c./ that the Treasurer fol.242r
That the Treasurer at warres bee all so admonished to acquaynt them with the paymentes aswell past as to come: for avowing breach of Contracte, wherin they may take the greatest advantadge a- gainst hir Majestie upon Rembursment yf anye default be made, wherat they are likely to wyncke untill yt may serve their tornes./

And wheras there is generall Exclamacion of all sortes in hir Majestieses pay of more stricte courses and harder measure used towardes them then any other nation called to their ayde & assistance, although none better deserve any wayes at their handes. That they may bee advised from hence to take more in different Courses, notwithstanding any advantage conyngly gotten by the Contracte. for prevencion of manye Inconveniences etc./

That they allso allowe of sutch Instruccions and orders as have byn sent over synce the Earle of Leycester (their Governor) least the Accion: for the advancement of the Service and the common benefite of hir Majestie and the unyted provinces, concerning th'english Forces: And that stay bee made of putting any thinge in execucion contrary to the Contracte, untill their Consentes procured, for a- voydinge unnecessarie Questions upon Rembursment, wherof ther are to manye allreadie./

And bicause there is nowe 2 yeares and more synce eny even Recconinge or full pay hath byn made, wherby many victuallers, marchantes and Creditors besides the Captens are unsatisfied It were convenient, or rather of necessitie an Auditor were sent over fot the preventing of most Inconveniences and deciding of such doubtes and difficulties as dayly arise betwixt the States, Captens, Souldiers, and Creditors of all sortes in Accomptes, besides th'avoiding of hir Majestieses double chardge: who beinge honest, discreet, and ex- peryenced, indifferently considering the Allegacions and grieffes of all parties, may (orderly fynishing his Accomptes to hir Majesties most advauntadge) without Injury or Wronge to anye) ether agree or Certifie the difference truly, to avoid aswell the slander of officers and discontentacion of Souldiers and Creditors, that may in tyme breede many dangerous myschieves the which good Offices cannot bee effected in such sort as were requisite without the contynuall presence of the sayd Officer accustomed in all well governed & disciplined Armyes./

And especially yt shalbee convenient that the same Auditor doe examyn all such debtes as the States doe charge upon hir Majestie for victualls, or Imprestes delivered to the soldiers in hir highnes pay with fol.242v
with expresse commaundement that the same be defaulked to hir Majesties use, to satisfie such somes of money as have extraordinaryly byn disbursed of hir Majesties Treasure to their souldiers: which cannot any wayes so well bee done as by an Auditor, who maye therby allso perfyte the Accompte betwene hir Majestie and them for those charges extraordinary, which hir Majestie otherwise shall utterly loose &c.

That lettres may bee directed to Master Killegrewe to deliver over to his Successor all such Actes of Councell as hee hath from tyme to tyme procured to bynde the States to repayment of all such somes of money as hir Majestie hath disbursed for them: and to cutt of all Cavillinges herafter yf any paymentes by the Treasurer hath byn made without their pryvitie: And that like letters may all so bee directed to the Lo: generall & Gover- nors of Cautionary Townes to have especiall regard to such mocions as shall bee made unto them f[or] /from/ the Assistant in Councell for the abservacion of the Contracte &c.

Finally that all Recconinges betwixt hir Majestie and the United provinces bee cleered, since the first sendinge over of the Armye: That yt may bee apparant what Treasure hath byn ymploied in the Accion according to the Contracte, /within the said time/ since the first sending over of the said Armye, for hir Majesties better assurance of Rembursement therof without Contencion. As allso of all other collaterall debtes, loanes, or extraordinary charges on ether side, to bee satisfyed accordingly without Cavill &c./