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fol.102vAddressed: To our trusty and welbeloved Thomas Bodley Esquire, Cownsellour with the Cownsell of Estate, of the United Provinces in the Lowe Contreys.
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fol.101r
Later Addition: Belgia: 1590. March: 90
Sign Manual: Elizabeth R
By the Queene./ Trusty and welbeloved we greete well. Uppon the arryvall of the Lord Willoughby our Governour, which was yesternight late, we understoode that the States had levied and sent an Armye to besieige Gertrudenberghe, and that the same was compassed secretly without either the knowledge of him, or of yow our Cownsellour there, which seemed very straunge unto us at the furste. And this day parceaving by lettres sent from your self, to our Threasurer of England, we fynd yt verefied, as begonne & done without your knoweledge, and so farre proceaded, as by your lettres apparith, and by copies of lettres sent from the Conte Mauris generall of this Campe, to our servaunt Sir John Wyngfield Governour in that towne, that at the tyme of the writinge of your lettres the Conte Mauris was redy to batter the Towne, though (as you write) they of the Towne were resolved to withstand the same very resolutelye. But consideringe the Daunger of this Attempt, specially to hazard the revolt of the Towne to the Enemye, and the Enemye so redy to obtayne yt by greate reward: Wee are at this [present] stirred up to do all that we maye, to withstand that daunger, and also well disposed to have the towne recovered to the obedience of the States by good and reasonable conditions without force, and to that end have written our lettres to the States Generall, both to give yow credite, and to cease their violent actions, and to take such a course as the towne maye be recovered by all reasonable good meanes and conditions. And to this end, we will that yow shall withall speed conferre with the Cownsell of Estate, and likewise repayre to the Generall Estates with our lettres, th'effect whereof yow shall remember unto them, how contrary a course, this ys, to that accord, which was made in July last, betwixt them and the Garrison, whereof we have made mention in our lettres to them, and so also yow shall have the same accord now sent to yow, bicause yt ys doutfull whither ye have yt or no. And therefore, after you have expostulated the violation of that accord, for declaration of our further pleasure accordinge to the contentes of our sayed lettre, yow shall withall ernestnes in our name, requyre that there maye be a cessation of Armes, and of violence, and that there may be a choice made of parsones meete for a peaceable communication, with whome ye shall requyre to be joyned in our name, And yow to send to them that have the principall charge in the fol.101vLater Addition: Belgia: 1590: March:
the Towne, speciall message from us of commaundement and advice for their owen weale, and the good of the whole Contrey, to accept from the States reasonable conditions for their safety, and contynuaunce of that Towne under the obedience of the States. And in lyke manner yow shall deale with the General Estates, that in so doutefull a cause as this ys, wisedome be used to recover them from any desperacion, or from givinge care to the Enemye. And bicause we knowe not what condicions or demaundes they of the Towne do make, nor what ys requyred or offred by the States to them; so as we cannot in any particuler sorte direct yow what course to hould with th'one and with th'other: We cannot but generally referre the matter to your discretion, Directinge yow to these generall pointes, to save the Towne from violence, and the people from blood shed, and to keepe yt from revoltinge to the Enemye. And both these beenge obteyned, to make some composition, howe the Towne maye be under the Obedience of the States, and yet the Souldiars and Captaines maynetayned in paye, and yf yt maybe, to contynewe with the Garrison /nowe/ there of that towne with due payes for their entertaynement. Or yf yt cannot be obtayned; then, that they may have their entertaynement otherwise well assured to them, without which conditions we ar well assured, they will never yeld, neither can we in hand presse them to yeld, otherwise; then to be sates- fied with contynuaunce of paye accordinge to their severall qualities: whereunto yf the States shall not agree, we see no other course to be taken, but that they will revolt to the Enemye, with rendringe of such a Towne unto him, as yt ys sure thereby, there shalbe a present Division betwixt Holland & Zeland, and a recourse by the seas to put in daunger the greatest part of South Holland, and the rest of the Isles of Zeland, As we dowte not, but in every mans judgement, yt will appere the greatest losse, to those Contreys of Holland and Zeland, that could happen, by the losse of any one Towne in /eny of/ those countreys./ Given under our Signet At our Pallace of Westminster the xvth Daye of marche. In the xxxjth yere of our raigne