Letter ID: 1358
Reference: BL, MS Harleian 287 fol.164r-165v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/1358/000
Date: 28 April 1590
Note:
Copy of: 0918 lettertext
fol.164r
Later Addition: 1590 28 Aprill To my L Treasurer
Yt may please your L. to bee advertized tht with your lettre of the 14 of march which came to my handes the 4 of this present I Rxd one from my LL of the Councell of the 15 of the same moneth & an other to the general states with whom I have dealt as I hope in such ample & sufficient maner as the importance of these causes & tht credyt required which their LL gave unto mee, the coppie of tht which I proposed I have sent the LL herewith & likewise a lettre to my LL. of the Consell which I humbly beseech you to present unto them and yf you find yt expedient to recommend to theyr furderance the autority of this counsell yt is tht no dout which would reduce the goverment of thes contreys yf not to a parfect good state yet assuredly to stay in order, as they should fynd by the effectes to bee much more tollerable. withall yt would bee a meanes to cutt of the credyt of such among the general states as take a speciall pride in contending with her Majesty I have had many charges from hence to deal with the states in this cause & I have used earnest speeches to such effect as I was willed, but because there hath nothing fallen owt upon theyr careles answeres, yt is much to be douted that they take yt all for no other but for a matter of course / althou yt were come to tht point which your L. doth wishe tht the general states could bee induced to a new treaty & to put in oblivion all manner of former breaches on both ides acknowledging theyr dew dett to her Majesty, yet I am fully parswaded they will depart with no other peaces of assurance then they have don alredy for the remborsement of her Highnes charges. also theyr publick Act for acknowledging theyr dett might be somewhat in show in respect of sondry defalcations upon which yt is likely hereafter they will insist, but unles her Majesty were so possessed as shee ys of some cautionary townes I see every daie by theyr wrangling courses in most mens causes that when they are not enclined to make satisfacion they will never want evasyons to frustrat theyr Actes, It wilbe a great allegacion among them when they come to [achount] tht her Majesties assistance was never kept complet. that the musters and paiements have bin made without theyr privity tht the 15 dead paies were never allowed by the Country & the nomber of absences ever greater then was to bee parmitted with divers other objections with all thinges considered mighte be particularly and very reasonably assured according to theyr severall natures, but I have given them hethertoo a general answear, tht her Majesty notwithstanding her often and earnest sollicitacion could never yet obtaine that the Councell of state might be established in their full autority whereby shee might orderly come to the notice of those disorders & withall resolve to cast the whole care of reformacion upon the sayd Councell to whom by agreement betwene her Highnes & the contry yt doth only belong, The wrong tht hath bin don to her Majestie & these provinces yn tht respect I have somewhat debated in this last proposition, how yt may stand with her Majestyes surety to break with these contreys, as farr as I can conceave submitting my opinion to your L. correction, yt will very much depend upon the prospitous successe of the French. Kinges affaires for othrwise yf the enemeyes forces should continew in the strength as they have bin heertofore I see not how they can withstand without the help of her Majesty for were yt so that the generall meanes fol.164v
of those Provinces being husbanded accordingly might entertain some thousandes more in secret then are heer at this present, as I think they are able, yet yf her Majesty should forsake e Countrey it is thought tht the people would dispair, & fall upon a suddain to accord with the Enemey, where as now on the other syde the [.] only name of her Majesty the ennemeyes opinion of the vallew of her subjects, & therof his feare of new supplies in time of necessity is a very great ayde though there were no other, neither ys yt so that the States heer doth not thoroly see into yt but yt ys supposed among them & sometymes given out, tht her Majesty of necessity & in regard of her own saffety must continew theyr protection, & thens upon the occasyons, tht are offred in your L. lettre I have sayd my opinion which whether yt bee well or ill conceaved I trust your L. will afford the best construction. Heer I hold yt requesyt to advertise your L of a spetiall injury which ys offred her Majesty by the meanes of Master Ortels being in England, for yt seemeth by the Lettres of her Highnes & of my LL of the Councell, tht hee ys reputed there an Agent for the general states of these countreys, & tht whatsoever by word or by writing by waie of answear or otherwise ys delivered unto him to be imparted to the general states, or to the Counsel of State of these contreys is signified accordingly, howbeyt the truth ys that hee ys agent onely for the States of Holland, & hath no deputacion from any other province & therfore maketh his dispatches not to the Councell of States unles yt bee upon spetiall requisition, & in some spetiall cause, but usually to Barnevelt the advocat of Holland or to the particular assembly which doth not keepe correspondence with the Councell of state but taketh advantage of relating or concealing such matter of his lettres as they list themselves, by this meanes whatsoever her Majesty, My LL of the Counsell or any in theyr behalf hath delivered unto him to bee dl heer to the general state of the Contrey ys onely addressed to the states of Holland & by them either notified or suppressed or imparted in such measure as among them selves is deemed convenient I do not dout but by her Majesties order ther hath bin many times many thinges communicated with him about the affaires of these contreys, which yf they had bin published heer might have given the state a great satisfaction, but since my being in this place I can not remember above 3 or 4 lettres tht he hath written to this Councell I do not cast the whole fault of this abuse upon Master Ortell him self for he hath his comission. & entertainment from the states of Holland & therefore bound to them onely, & besides yt should appeare tht hee himself ys not privy to this couvert kinde of dealing either in Barnevelt or yn the states of Holland. for in his last answer, to a lettre which hee sent to the Councell of state, containing such matter as was dl by Master Wilkes to theyr late demandes he maketh mention of former answears sent unto them about the self same requestes, which were never yet imparted, but either kept back by the Advocat or by the assembly of Holland, this manner of proceeding hath bin used a long time fol.165r
but unknowen to the Councell heer, till yt came in question upon his lettre unto them, & upon the coppie of the Articles which your L. send unto mee exhibited by Master Ortell yn the name of the general states and apostilled by my LL of the Counsell the 15 of marche which articles & apostilles though they conteyne such matter as belongeth onely to the conduct of the counsell of State were never opened yet unto them. whereby the Counsell being ignorant what was passed writ lately againe about the self same affayres & this because the generall states, the Counsell of state & e states of Holland propose theyr reasons aparte at severall times and yn divers meanes theyr confused courses both present my LL of the counsell to a great deale of troble & occasyon many times that the self same answers ar not made to the same propositions for the redresse of this disorder I have promysed this Councell which ys much agreived with yt, to be an humble sutor both in theyr behalf & myne owne that whensoever Master Ortell shall sollicit any matter in the name of the general states or of the Counsell of state he may be charged there, upo the [Rst] of his answer to send yt directly & indirectly to those to whom intended to be given & not to the states of Holland which is sent one province, wheras his negotiation doth concerne them all, the consyderacion wherof & what ys convenient to be don upon yt I referr unto your L. wisdome nothing douting but yf either in this point or in any of the former there by any thing worthy to be reported to my LL of the councell yt wilbe signified unto them by your honorable meanes / how well this state ys provided of forreine intelligence your L. may conjecture yn tht it was more then a moneth before wee knew any certainty either by lettres or otherwise of the late battail in France whereof your L. lettre to mee brought one of the freshest reportes for which I thank your L. very humbly, & for the other pointes of the lettres which being very materiall & coming from your L. are both a great comfort & unto mee & a spetiall furderance to my service / astouching the occurences heer there ys litell to be certified but tht the enemy practiseth to surprise the towne of Berghen for he increaseth his forces in those quarters & by common conjecture hath some intelligence in eTowne, it is not yet knowen nor suspected with whom, but for the governors assistance is making enquiry & for other needfull alteracions in the garrison Master Gilpin & others ar sent thether. Yt doth appeer by one of those lettres which were deciphered by Monssieur St Aldegond tht the K of Spain doth purpose to get the possession of the Dukedome of Cleave for which the present opportunity doth serve very fitly because the Younge Prince is distracted, & in a more pitifull state then the father, Howebeit to prevent his intention the better, there are coppies of the Kings letters sent from hence to the Counsell of Cleve, to the towne of Westell, which are both well affected, unto & to theyr neibour princes / We have sertain intelligence from Bruges, tht 30 regiments of Wallons being newly mutined attempted to take a port of that Towne & were partly entred, but by the diligence of the burgers, there were 50 of them slaine, & the rest repulsed. It is spoken heer in secrett tht Co. Hollock being highly discontented with the small regard tht is had of him by the States fol.165v
Endorsed: To my L. Treasurer 18 April 90
is fully resolved to take his leave of these countreys & to serve the French King. It is also said among some t seem to speak upon knowledge, that yt is heer in present deliberacion among some principall persons to consitute Co Maurice Count of Holland & thus most humbly craving your L. pardon for my tedious discowrses I take my humble leave. from the HageApril 18. 90. Your L. most humbly bounden Tho: Bodley.