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Addressed: To the right honorable my very singular good Lord the L. Burghley Lord highe Treasuror of England.

Endorsed: 3 April 1591. Master Bodeleie from the Haghe./

Later Addition: 3 April 91

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fol.290r
May it please your good L. by Sir John Norreis report, and by suche former letters as I have written to your L. of which one was of the 18 and an other of the 23 of the last, I trust yow are advertised of the states resolution, to the most of those maters that sundrie times before yow re- quired me to urge, and nowe againe by your last of the 21 of Marche, which I have lately receaved. With muche a doe, and more to satisfie her Majestie then for any willingnes otherwise, they have yelded heere to send two companies of their owne inter- tenment to the Governor of Ostend: which yet they affirme to be wholy superfluous: and will condi- tion with the Governor, that they may be returned, when the forces of the contrey shall be ready for the filde. Howe muche they have bin mo- ved already, and will be further grieved, that the contributions of those quarters should be other- wise disposed, then they themselves shall thinke requisit, your L. will consider by that which my former hath signified unto yow. For my self I will confirme my endevors to her Highnes good pleasure: but I see before hand, by that forme /of/ proceeding, which they use in other actions, and by the speciall dislike which they shewe in this mater, that they will never be but jalouse, unquiet and complaining, till they may have the maneging of their owne, aswel in Ostend, as in every other towne, that perteneth to their government. And though in substance the meaning of her Majestie be no other then theirs, not to prejudice their right, but to take the best and safest way to benefit their estate, yet of a natural imperfection they are mervelously wedded to out- warde formes of proceeding, and to a precise obser- vance of the orders of the contrey: and from them they will not varie, for any maner of persuasion. fol.290v
Your L. will vouchesafe to consider of this mater, and to give me some notice of her Majesties pleasure, which I will folowe heere and further, as muche as I am able. As touching that pro- ject, which your L. sent hither, for dissuading this peo- ple from the offers of peace, if it be your desire to have it published abroade, heere is no man, I am certaine, that will willingly print it, without the privitie of the states: and the states, there is no doubt, will alwaies suspect it to come from her Majestie. And whether it be expedient, that it should be so surmised, or that the motion of peace, which is wholy quailed of it self, should nowe againe be revived, by a publike discourse: whereby the Ene- mie might be stirred, to frame an answear unto it, and the people occasioned to dispute it too and fro, and to censure the sufficiencie of the reasons of both sides, I submitte my self therein to your L. opinion, being ready for any thing that your L. shall resolve. But otherwise of my self, I should hold it sufficient, to keepe mater enough in stoare, and when the time is fitte for it, to concurre with the states in delivering it abroade. The letter heerewith, which I send unto my LL. of her Majesties Councel, is to signifie unto them, howe I speede about the debtes, which are owing from the states unto the L. Willughby. And in the solicitation of those maters, I found a meete opportunitie, for that they were busied in the affaires of the Admiraltie, to present suche mater unto them, as I was lately willed by her Majestie. for the setting fourth of their shippes, to encounter those of Dunkerke, Nieuport, and Graveling, and suche other preparation, as is made by the Liguers. To my motion therein, and to the L. Willughby his causes, they have made me that answear, whiche I send unto your L. and beseeche yow to impart fol.291r
to her Highnes and the Lordes. And to the end your L. might receave a perfitte specification of the strength of all their shipping, that is continually maintened for the franchise of the sea, I have sent yow a list of them all: aswell of those that are appointed to garde the coast of Flanders, as all other places: which upon my instance to the states, was delivered unto me, by the Councel of the Admiraltie. For the debtes that are clamed by the L. Willughby, although they knowe for cer- taine, and I was willed by the LL. to signifie so muche, that his L. is an earnest sutor for letters of reprisall, that accordingly as his owne gooddes are heere detened by way of arrest, so his L. might have leave, for the recoverie of suche summes as are dewe unto him from the states, to stay the gooddes wheresoever, of any subject of these contreis, yet they say that suche a course was never put in practise, nether by her Majestie nor by any other Prince, for a privat mans cause, against their publike state. And considering the danger of the consequence in that proceeding, and their infinit consumptions, by reason of these warres, they hope her Majestie in this mater, will shewe no suche example, for other Princes to imitat.

We have certaine intelligence, that 800 of the mutined souldiers of Diest in Brabant, have made an incursion into the land of Liege, and taken and spoiled the towne of Huye, a strong place upon the Maese, upon the middel way of the river, betweene Namurs, and the towne of Liege. There is joined unto it a Castel of good strength, with a garrison of souldiers, which forced presently the Spaniard to forsake the place. Withall, the con- trey people raised on the soddaine suche forces of horse and foote, as they cutte of all the passages fol.291v
between that and Diest, and forced the Enemie into Hannuye, which should seeme by the advertisment given to be an open village towardes Brabant: in which place, when the letter was written, they were kept as besieged, without hope to escape. In the meane season it is sayd, that the mutins of Herentals sent a renforcement of other troupes into Diest. Count Maurice is gone towardes Zeland, intending presently to drawe suche troupes away from thens, as may be spared for the feelde. Sir Francis Vere is departed for Disbourgh, with commission from the Councel, to joine with Count Overstein, and to imploy the forces of those quarters, both horse and foote, to beate the Enemie from his worke: who, as we are informed, hath begonne a fortification on this side the Yssel, over against Deventer: but hath not yet assembled above 600 men. And thus I take my humble leave. From the Hage. Aprill 3 Anno 1591. Your L. most humbly bounden Tho. Bodley

Postscript: Notwithstanding that order which this Councel hath taken, to send to Ostend two companies of their owne, Sir Thomas Morgan, as they are ad- vertised, hath sent thither two others, which hath putte them greatly out of patience: in so muche as they have sent, although I thinke it be too late, to have their passage staied in Zeland.

Postscript: May it please your good L. for my letters, I never sent any, sins I came hither, by any messenger of purpose, but it was for some ma- ter that required expedition, and then I have specified in my letter, that I sent him of pur- pose. Others come unto me to offer their service, being bound to goe for England, for their privat occasions: and I have warned many suche, not to looke for allowance, as I will doe /it/ heereafter more precisely. I could consigne my letters to some of Middlebourgh or Flushing, but by passing many handes they would be longer in conveing, and more in danger of miscarieng. For whiche I send, when I can, by suche as promise me heere, to goe di- rectly for the Court: but by no man expressly, unles I signifie so muche.