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Later Addition: Belgia: 1590: October.
Later Addition: Belgia 1590 28 October to my L. Treasurer
May yt please your L. 4 daies past I Rxd your L. letter of the 9 of this moneth, wherein you require that the man of Donkerk should be sent unto you, I do not dout but you have since understood that Co. Maurice hath attempted that surprise & failed of his purpose, your L. may conjecture that his Intention therein was knowen before to the Councell of state, & might have bin by mee advertized home. But I do assure your L. yt is an exploit which the Co. undertooke upon the soddain & concealed yt altogether from the Councell of state, for which they dislike his proceeding very much, & have resolved to admonish him of yt publickely. Moreover, yt may seeme unto you that the parties heer, by whom that ouverture was made unto mee, have not dealt so syncerely, as they should, but imparted theyr secret aswell to the Co. as to mee, but as I writt to your L. the 21 of September the Co. had some secret informacion by some other meanes of the state of the Towne, & of the weakenes of yt there, where hee thought to assault yt. And as for those that are heer, by whom that matter at fyrst was desclosed unto mee, by all the tokens that I can see which are also confirmed by theyr solemne protestacions, being men of an honest & upright caringe, & so reputed where they live, I cannot anie waie conceave anie litell suspition of theyr double dealing. Besydes it is manifest by the very course which was held by the Count in his sailing, & marching without respect at midday & in sight of the ennemy, whereof I am parswaded you are fully advertized by those that were present, that hee was holpen in nothing by the foresayd parties. For they do both condemn him for his ill conduction, & affirme withall, which I do also gues by other circumstances that hee had no Intelligence at all of the entrance by the water gate, which by theyr declaration was the principall place, for the execution of hys purpose, & might have bin possessed very easilie with forces fol.305vLater Addition: Belgia: 1590: October.
out of England without suspition of the ennemy Master Gilpin to whom of late I imparted the matter seemed to learne of Sir Francis Vere in Zeeland which hee writ from thence as he saith to your L. that the said entraunce by water was provided for by the Ennemie. Howbeyt I have as of my self this daie moved divers questions a far of to the Count about the place by circumstance to feele whether his intelligence were the same, as I had Receaved, & what conceat hee had of yt, but yt appeared by his awnswers, that hee knoweth nothing, but very confusedly & not to the effect as I had proposed. This attempt of Co. Maurice being frustrate, becaus yt may be presumed that the ennemy will sound & fortifie the weakest places of the Towne I cannot conjecture, that her Majesty is desyrous that I should send those parsons into England, for whom your L. hath written. Nevertheles not to give the matter over till I see yt out of hope, nor to leave any thing unassayed, which may with facility be furder parfourmed I have heer agreed with the pensionar of Dunkerk that he shall presently repaire into Zeeland to his fellow the Eschevin, & that both of them together shall send some honest trusty parson to Dunkerk (for whom they may procure some passeport of course for the ennemy, & give him instruciton to learn the particular truthe of such pointes as shalbee delivered unto him. Chiefly to observe how all thinges stand about the watergate, & what other alteracion is made in the Town. Upon the retourn of this messenger according to the likelihood of that report, that hee shall make, I will either staie or send the parties them selves unto you, who are also willing unto yt fol.306rLater Addition: Belgia: 1590: October.
yf all continew as yt was. & will alwaies adventure theyr owne parsons in the greatest place of daunger in parfourmance of the enterprise. For lack of a cypher I can hardly write of this matter, to bee well understood but in open termes, which I feare to doe the lesse, because I cannot yet complaine, that any letter of mine hath miscaryed hethertoo/. I know not as yet when too looke for any awnswer to our last propositions, for I cannot parceave by any conjecture that they had ever other purpose, or have at this present, then to temporize, & to attend a good houre in the affaires of Fraunce, which growing to theyr liking I am certainly parswaded they will give her Majesty but a careles & an insolent awnswer, & in that respect I should think yt very nedefull (which I speak with submission to your L. correction) that therafter as the King shall prosper in his actions, her Majesties garrisons in the cautionary townes might bee carefully reaosned. For I see this people in all their dealinges are very heady & inconstant & quickly drawen to do any thing by those that manege theyr affaires, of which the most at this present are neither well enclined to her Majestyes causes, & endevor to exclude her from all her interest among them. There are some of North Holland, that are unknowne unto mee, but as I am certified by other men of good quality & wishing well unto her Highnes who have caused mee of late to bee secretly advertized, that for spetiall occasions which they will not disclose yt behoveth her Majesty to look unto Flushing. I have had the like warning by other men heer, who signify unto mee that yt hath bin debated by some principall parsons in theyr private meetinges, which waie they might be able, which they make very easye, to thrust the English out of Flushing. For mine owne opinion in particular I can by no meanes imagine, that there is any practise as yet to attempt yt actually, but yet I fol.306vLater Addition: Belgia 1590 [October]
take such discowrses to be theyr preparatives. & yf yt go well with the K. of Fraunce, whereby ther fear of the ennemy may bee more diminished, they were hardly to be trusted. To provide for the worst I thought yt very requesyt, to make some intimation to the Gouvernor of Flushing of the caveates that I Rxd. The demand of Coronell Stuart, which her Majesty recommendeth by your L. severall lettres is sollicited heer by one Master John Skeyn a scottish gentleman, whom the K. had very lately employed into Denmarke & hath charged going home to deale with the states in that cause. The first of your L. letters astouching Master Stewart was delivered to mee 3 daies past by Master Skeyne him self, to whom in respect of my particular endevours, I will not faile to give good satisfaction, & yet remember withall what your L. doth advise yn your next letter after, I have already recommended the suit in her Majesties name to the states, whom I find very greatly parplexed by reason of the letters of Mart. Howbeyt for ought I can parceave they will never yeeld to such a president as to paie the debte of other provinces. There are many marchantes newly com hether both from middelboro & Amsterdam, which exlaim against our nation very bitterly in every place where they come for empeaching theyr traffique with Spaine. They have addressed theyr complaintes to the generall States, who as it seemeth at this present, are half resolved to send certain deputies to her Majesty about yt. And so I take my humble leave. Hagh. October 28 Anno 1590.