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fol.96r
To Master bodeley Trusty and welbeloved we gret yow well. Although we did very lately commande owr Tresoror of England in our name, to reqre yow with all spede to Conf treat with the states both in Generall and with the Counsell ther also, to procure that some enterprises might be taken in hand with ther forces and ours also, to mak some incursions into the ennemyes Countres and specially into Flanders now in the ansence of the D. of parma with the gretest part of his forces beyng now far in france. yet such is both our ernest desyre, and our Judgment /to hasten [the] same/ grownded uppon sondry great ocasions to have the same to be spedely taken in hand and [prosequuted] with all ernestnes as we shall greatly er mislyk and Condemn the states and Counsell ther, if they shuld not with all ther po good wills and powers Cu and that without delaye or sparyng of any charges, gyve order to have these enterprises taken in hand, wherby ether these twoo effectes or on of them is to follow, that is by this both to damnefy the ennemy more with /greatly/ without perill, /or at the les/ and therby to dyvert the ennemyes forces now in france, wherby fol.96v
the french Kyng might be the more fre from daunger of his estat, a matter so manifestly necessary, as every man of small understandyng can Judg therof /how nedefull the same is./ Wherfor you shall both use all the meanes you can ther /with the states and with all Counsellors ther/ both publyckly and privatly, to tak this matter lyvely in hand, for which purporse yow we have wrytten our ernest lettres to the /sayd/ states Generall which yow shall receave, and in delyvery therof use all good parswasions to them, not to mak any dilatory Consultation hereof, but forthwith to Conclude uppon the exequetion of such enterprises, as the Cont Moryce /to whom also we have wryten for this this purpors/ havyng chardg of ther forces & Sir Francisce veere havyng charg of ours shall with the advise and asistance of our forces both in Berghen and ostend shall conclude to be mete./ And for that we mynd also spedely to put in ordre Certen new forces to be transported /from this our realm/ to ostend or some other port in flanders /on the Cost/, which may also Joyne with the forces of those low Contries we wold have yow to conferr with the party that of late made an offer for Dunkyrk, that it may be well considered of, as at this tyme whan these forces shall be in those partes, the sayd enterpris may be taken in hand, wherof we require yow spedely to advertise us, his furder purposs, and also to send us aunswer to certen questions sent to yow by owr Tresoror of England fol.97r
yow shall do well, to gyve advise to the Cont Moryce and Sir Francis Vere, that accordyng to the proportion of ther nombres ther be sent with them by [them] into Flanders a resonable quantite of vittell of bread and drynk for on month space within which tyme it is lykly this enteprice shall be parformed./.