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fol.28vEndorsed: To the L. Treasuror. 14 January 90.
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fol.25r
Later Addition: Belgia. 1591 stilo Romano 14 January to my L. Treasurer
Later Addition: Belgia: 1591: January
May it please your good L. to advertise her Majesty, that having Rxd her letters of that 22th of the laste moneth, & your L. of the 24, with an other from her highnes to the generall States which came all to my handes the 8th of this present, and from your L. a second of the 30th of December, which I Rxd three daies past: I delivered that unto the States the 11th of this month & according to the tenor of her Majesties Instructions I declared that at length which I have signified in summe in the copie that I send yow. Whereof the states have an other as they do commonly require. Very sieldom it is that they make anie awnswere to anie motion at first but of course & coustome. they saie they will deliberate, which was all their awnswer unto mee, but that their promise is besides to use expedition That that appartained to Sir Edward Noreis intertainement I did purposely omitt in my speech to the States, for I have found by the bookes of the treasuror generall, that hee hath rxd alredy out of Flanders contributions 120 sterling Which is the full of his paie from the time of his admission to the 16 daie of December. That which is proposed for the assurance of Flushing, that in consyderacion of the ennemies attempts, it might in time of suspition be better strengthened they do very much mervaile whereunto it will tend, for though the garrison were weake, yet it is every mans opinion, that the Burgers ar suffcient to repulse any ennemy Howbeit if her Highnes intent be to fortifie the place as well against her couvert as her open ennemies, which to my understanding is greatly behoofull, then to utter what I think, with my humble petition of her gratious pardon, it were a better dealing with the states, and likelie to succeed if her Highnes would bee pleased to alleadge unto them, plainely, that forasmuch as neither the present Governor, nor any of those that were before [since] the towne was in caution will undertake to keepe it without farder forces that therfore shee doth will precisely that 2 other bandes of auxiliary companies bee presently sent thether, For it is provided alredy by the Act of Auxiliation or ratification fol.25vLater Addition: Belgia: 1591: January
Of the Treatie, that it shalbee lawfull for her Majesty for her better assurance, to take any town out of any other Province & to fournish it with men, without restriction of number of her owne assistance, And though the cases seem to differ, yet the drift is all one in congruity of reason, for that they ought to provide for her Highnes securetie And if they will not bee moved with this foresaid request mee thinkes it were not inconvenient to make a triall of them further, & to demaund some other town, although their should bee no meaning to possesse it in the end, For before they wilbee drawen to forgoe an other place, I am thorowly parswaded, they wyll give her Majesty her asking for the towne of Flushing, & this is all I can returne to her Majestyes letter, till I see whereunto theyr awnswere will encline. To the first from your L. I am thus to signifie that for the matter of surprise that required a cypher, which I have now receaved, your L. will vouchsafe to expect my next letter, for the good conduction of the matter will chiefly consist in him that is in Zeeland, whose coming unto mee hath bin lately empeached by some extremitie of sicknes, But I have sent of sett purpose a messenger unto him, & I trust that either within these three daies he will com hither himself in parson or send mee such direction as the practise may go forward, without furder delay. Astouching that awnswere of the States which I sent unto your L. the 7 of December it was exhibited unto mee, as I certified your L. by the Greffi[er] of theyr college, For seing I was authorised to joine with Master Wilks, in proposing unto them her Majesties pleasure they reputed it sufficient in retourne of theyr awnswer [[to]] deliver yt unto mee, & so I do suppose, theyr deput[[ies]] will alleage: although besides they will pretend, that [[.]] are not charged from hence to deale in those matt[[ers]] Howbeit I have signified plainely to some of that assemblie, that if they had but respected the comm[[on]] course of courtesie, consydering the [weight] of those of [[.]] & her highnes long attendance, they should have accomp[[anied]] theyr awsnwer with some lettre of excuse, But the [[.]] fol.26rLater Addition: Belgia: 1591: January
for want of good affection, though their blunt disposition bee a principall cause. And whether in that respect Master Carons carriage being different from theyrs, it bee not some occasyon that they & hee cannot keep together in consort, I leave yt by the waie to your L. conjecture. In your second lettre concerning that which her Highnes doth desire to understand. The ladie morgan, as it should seem not only by her owne but by her husbands reporte, & by the messengers confession, as by every other circumstance, did utterly dislike the message from her father. Of the letters sent unto her, the first was of credence, which the messenger delivered, & did that errand uppon it, which I certified in my former: But the Lady refusing to send her father other awnswere, then by word of mouth, and as the partie declareth, in detestation of his owne motion, hee retourned the messenger with a second lettre, wherein hee required an awnswere to the first, which was also delivered, but nothing spoken by him that brought it to parswade her any further. And this the party doth confesse, without any variance in his talke, albeit hee hath bin stricktly, & sundry times examined. I will enquire for the copies of both his letters, & send them unto you, but for the messengers confession, because it is tedious & in duche, & in the Fescales handes, & is in substance no other, then I have reported, I do not esteem yt to bee worthy the sending. Hee continueth yet in prison, but the sentence of Justice is not past upon him. To enforme your L. in a word what I thinke of this matter Althought I never had occasion to dout in any jote of Sir Thomas Morgans loyaltie, yet I certainely suppose that by reason of those practises & the often messages unto him, neither hee himself was ever heretofore so vigilant, nor the garrison so well garded as it is at this present. fol.26vLater Addition: Belgia: 1591: January
Merode his abod, wherof your L. doth demaund, is most at his Baronie of Petenson in the countrey of Liege a neutrall place, where is usuall conversation is all in good fellowshipp amongst men of no worth & of base condition. The chief corps of his living is in Brabant albeit hee hath much in Liege & in Juliers, & heer in Holland and is esteemed, by those that knowe it to amount by the yeare to 3000 li sterlinge. His wife is allwaies at Isellmountby Roterodame, in which place and at Rideskerke a Village adjoining shee hath her greatest staie of living. which is vallewed yearely to 400li sterling all manner of paimentes to the country rebated, & her dowairy mony rekoned for which shee Receaveth every yeare 200 li of the Count of Cullembourg His sonne is with the ennemy, & followeth the warres, at the charges of his father being almoste inheritor to all his possessions. The portion of his two dawghters by this woman, is theyr fathers benevolence, having nothing present of them selves, & litell in reversion, onely shee that is the youngest, which is the Lady Knolles either hath already or is dew to have 80 li land by the yeare by the gift of an aunt as I am given to understand. There are also other two alive, that were dawghters to his dawghter by a former wife sister & heyr to the Marquis of Berghen that died in Spaine. of which the eldest maketh litell by the right of her mother to the marquisat of Berghen & is as I am enformed to enjoy the third of the landes of Merode, that lie in Brabant, by certaine covenantes in marriage. Wheras your L. doth declare that her Majesty is desyrous to have her forces, that are i[[n]] heer in garrison in the 4 townes, to bee transported [[to]] Brittaine, To signifie shortly my private opinion, I think it first unpossible, to parswade with this people [[to]] like of that motion: & to proceed therin against their [[...]] it will prove undoubtedly very troublesome & diffi[[cult]] & whether secondly yt were expedient to attempt it a[[...]] fol.27rLater Addition: Belgia: 1591: January
time in this doubtfull state, & while the ennemy is occupied in proposull of a peace, I refer the consyderacion to your L. wisdome. Besides the nomber is so small that can be drawen from hens as the inconvenience doth appeare to bee greater then the benefit. For when the Garrisons of Ostend & Flushing shalbee so renforced, as her Majesty doth determine with 4 other companies the remainder in my conjecture, will arrive very hardy to 1200 men. Lastly whether it will not bee a matter to dismay this people, to animat the ennemy & to give occasion that when her Majesties assistance shalbee called from hence, he may either more boldly send his succours in to Fraunce, or assaile these Provinces with a greater fury, it seemes in my opinion a necessary consultation. But, bee it spoken, with submission to your L. correction, if her Majesty being moved with the unworthy courses of this nation, with the daily supportes that they minister unto the ennemy & with the excessive consumption of her treasure at home shall resolve theruppon to lessen her burden, & to ridd her handes of these countryes, It would bee both the fastest & the easiest proceeding, to execute her purpose by certaine degrees, & at severall times, & by coullerable meanes. And in all probability, there wilbee ere be long very fitt opportunities to serve the turne in that respect. For yf the purposed levie of 3000 foote & 300 horse wherof I have written heertofore unto your L. shall take that effect that this Councell doth exspect, the perill there wilbee lesse & the Country more controled. I sent your L. heerwith the names & qualities aswell of those Deputies that represent the states, as of those that assemble in the Councell of State I have sent the same list in a former letter which whether yow have Rxd or would have yt sett downe with other additions, when I knowe your L. pleasure I will do yt accordingly. I acquainted your L. in my last with the States resolution to write unto the Emperor & to certaine germain Princes, to prevent theyr intention, fol.27vLater Addition: Belgia: 1591: January
for the Ambassador of peace, Theyr letters are written & sent to that effect the 1 of this moneth, by an ordinary poste, & I have sent yow heerwith a translated copie. There is intelligence heer from Collen, that the religious houses in those quarters are secretly enjoyned to extraordinary praiers for the happy successe of some enterprise in hand, upon the countrey of Holland, what is ment therby wee know not, wee have assured newes, that Montigny the Marquis of Rentz is deceased, & that his sonne which is very young is come to Brussels, with a very great treyne of his fathers followers.The Count Overstein without either Commission or privity of the Councell of State one of the generall states hath raised 600 horse & 800 foote of the garrisons of Guelderland & hath bin absent this moneth in the diocesse of Collen, which is a neutrall State & there upon the confines towardes Hassia hath spoyled a Town called Giesken, & wasted the countrey in many places wherwith the people of these countreys are deeply displeased what hath moved him to make this roade, becaus his retourne is but newly advertised & him self since his going hath not written to the state, yt is yet unknowen unto us. But these are cell of the frutes of this disordred state, where is neither Gouvernor nor Gouverment, but a masse of confusion in all theyr proceedinges. The vicount of Turen & Sir Horace Pallacivine departed from Utrecht the 10 of this moneth, from whence they were accompanied with Count Hol[[...]] who hath taken the charge of theyr conduction thoro[[gh]] the contrey of Westphalia, with a convoie of these co[[...]] of certaine cornetes of horse, & companies of foote. And this very instant I am advertised from Sir Horac[[e] [...]] they are safely arrived at Wagening, which is in [[...]] which hee requesteth mee by lettre to signify unto [[your L.]]. fol.28r
Later Addition: Belgia: 1591: January
Having greatly desired for a fitt opportunity to breake with your L. about my return, it is now presented in suche sort as I am very much emboldened, to crave your assistance. It is full 2 yeares & 2 monethes that I have served in this place, How well I may have served for discharge of my dutie, I submitt my self therein to her Majesties censure. But I protest unto your L. I have found yt for mine own parte, a mervailous unpleasant & troublesome place of service, which yet I speak not in respect of any trouble to my self for I wil not bee troubled where her Majesty must be served: but for the froward proceedinges, which the States of these countreys have held with her Highnes. The consyderacion wherof, & of the time alredy past, of my abod in this place, as also of the awnswer that was lately given by the States, wherby the causes of these countreys are brought to some issew doth put mee in good hope that your L. will vouchsafe as I am humbly to entreat yow to speak to her Majesty in my behalf, that her Majesty wilbee pleased to call mee from hens. To declare unto yow plainely how it standeth with mee, I have spetiall occasyon to bee earnest heerin. & to pray your good L. to be earnest for mee, For my buisnes at home in my private estate are farr out of order, & do greatly require my presence with my friendes. I would specify wherein & tell the particularities of some causes, but it is not that which I entend, to weary your L. with reportes of my domesticall affaires. I trust yt may suffice that I have signified truely my estate unto yow, which if your L. shall respect & move her Majesty to do the like. I do not dout of obtaining a gratious awnswere to my sute & so I take my humble leave. HageJanuary 14 1590.Postscript: For that the Advocat Fiscall to whom the letters of Merode were committed to be kept is not presently at home, I will send the transcript by the next