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fol.206r
Sir. Your last /latest/ lettres be of the xiijth & xvjth of this moneth, those of the xiijth weare to recommend a request of the states for the increase of hir Majesties Bandes of horsemen being foure Cornettes for vj monethes. for which purpose the deputies here of the states have presented a lettre to hir Majestie from the Counsell of Estate, wheare I find hir Majestie for manie respectes not to be hasty to awnswear: The former letter of the xiijth conteined sondrie matters which I have communicated unto hir Majestie, whereof at this present I have noe leasure to make perticuler recitall, for the occasion of my writing nowe at this present is a matter that requireth great hast to be expedited, & with great discretion to be ordered by yowe, whereof I doe lesse dowbt to be well used by yowe, by the experience I have of your Actions, than the case will be delivered by mee in writinge, bicause I am forced to use som hast. I dowbt not but Sir John Norris hath communi- cated unto yowe his Commission & Instrucions, whose principall charge thither was to withdrawe if he cowld 3000 men of the Auxiliary Cumpanies to be caried into Britaigne: and for that yt was dowbted that the states would not consent theareunto, in one part of his Instrucions he was directed that in such a Case of refusall he should cawse the Capteines to /pretend to/ Casse her soldiers /bandes/, as thowgh theye showd not remaine in paie anie longer, and /yet to/ direct them /soldiers/ to cum to Berghen or to flushinge, wheare theie showld be reteined into paye wthout losse, or if that meane should not be thowght convenient betwixt him and the Capteines /whose advise he shuld use therin/ then he should devise sum other good meanes to bringe the same to passe according to his discretion, whereby to com to be shipped into England: uppon this point /of his instructions/ hir Majestie hath entred into Consideracion dowbting[.] howe the same shall be executed withowt som disagrement either betwixt the Capteines and Sir John Norris, or betwixt the soldiers & Sir John Norris fol.206v
and som Cawse hir Majestie hath to conveie dowbt hearin bicause hir Majestie calleth to remembrance som unkindnes that hath heretofore been betwene Sir John Norris and sum of the principall Capteines theare, and the same by sharpe wordes, of reproches & Compa- risons, and by sum offers of blowes was of late [time] heare in England attempted, betwixt him and his brother, and sum of the Capteines that nowe be theare of whome hir Majestie hath vearye good Reputacion: And nowe therefore hir Majestie hath some dowbt howe this past abovementioned in his Instructions will be quietly executed; and sum further dowbt hir Majestie hath also that sum of the said Capteines for such former unkindnes or for dowbt of sum hard usage of them by Sir John Norris if theie shall serve under him, that sum of them will [repaire] and refuse to cum with their Bandes in this service and in that case also their bandes will be unwillinge to cum, whereof hir Majestie thinketh theare will ensewe sum inconvenience, and that which hir Majestie would most of all mislike, an open knowledge to the Enemie to see such a dissention betwixt her good serviteurs and soldiers, and for remedie hereof hir Majestie hath had divers devises propounded, as in sum part to have Sir John Norris revoked, and to have charge heare of newe nom- bers that showld be levied in the Realme, for his [Journeie] of Bretaigne, and the charge of such nombers as maie be gotten thence, to be committed to Sir Francis Veere, with whome yt hath been thowght heare, that sondrie of the principall Capteines theare and their Bandes, would be more willingly conducted, than by Sir John Noriss, bicause of the former unkindnes and discordes; But yet hir Majestie not soe well likinge of this fol.207r
advise, hath thowght it better to have the inconvenience salved, by this meanes followinge. Hir Majestie consideringe that yowe are theare hir Counsellor and of Creditt by your owne desart, and also takinge yowe to be indifferentlye affected towardes Sir John Norris and the rest of the Capteines, and at the least yowe will soe be in respect of hir Majesties service, and the honnor of her nation: hir pleasure is that yowe shall doe all the good offices yowe can to procure that this service committed to Sir John Norris, might be performed with quietnes and good Accord betwixt him and the Capteines, and spetiallie withowt anie owtward showe of discord: and if yowe shall finde in either of the sides anie wilfulnes to yeld to reasonable order for hir Majesties service, yowe shall privatlie use hir Majesties name (for so yt is her pleasure) to charge them uppon paine of her Indignation not for anie respect of former unkindnes or discord to refuse to doe that which in reason on both partes owght to be done, aswell on the part of Sir John Norris, as forbearing from all hard usage of any of the Capteines in worde or deade, or for exercising his authoritye over anie of them to expresse his displeisure, And for the other part for anie of the Capteiens wilfullie to refuse to come in this service or to disswade or discowrage their soldiers from the same, which if yow shall finde notwithstandinge your advise and Commaundment, so to proceade, as by the refusall of the Capteines, and mislike of the soliders this service cannot take effect withowt open dissencion: then yowe shall after yowe have done the best yowe can with the Capteines to winne them to Conformitie, and that yowe shall see that the former unkindnes & dissention hath been such, as the Capteines will not in anie wise be perswaded to cum under Sir John Norris Government, as fearing their danger to be under his Commaundement, yowe shall open your Conceipt to Sir John Norris, and advise him hearein to forbeare from all extreme fol.207v

Later Addition: 1590/1 February United Provinces