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fol.93r
Later Addition: [Belgia] 1591. stilo Romano 23 February To Master Bodly
Later Addition: Belgia: 1591: February
Sir. Bicawse it is convenient yowe showld be acquainted with the Negotiacion of the Deputies of the States heare, yowe shall understand, that after the two principall Deputies De Luz & vanden- berg, had delivered their letters unto hir Majestie, theie used summ longe rownd speeches, partlie of thanks for hir succors, partlie in excuse for not geving speedie awnsweare to Master Wilkes and yowe: & after that made their Complaints in generallitie of the Arrests, with requestes of Restitucion, and [.] to reforme the like heareafter./ And in conclusion added an awnsweare from the States to the point required by yowe for the restraint of navigation into Spaigne: To all which hir Majestie gave them in wordes, sum particuler reasonable awnsweares, adding that she would appoint sum of hir Counsell to conferre with them: and so within two or three daies they exhi- bited in writinge the some of theire speeches, and thereuppon hir Majestie delivering the same unto mee, commaunded that the L. Admi- rall my L. Cobham, my L. Buckhurst and my self showld consider theareof and conferre with them, and so wee did, heare at my howse at sondrie times: wheareuppon wee did in the ende for A full awnsweare: after wee had made hir Majestie acquainted with our doinges, geve them perticuler awnsweares to all the partes of their Remonstrance, whereof I doe forbeare by this my lettre to make any perticuler recitall, bicawse I doe send unto yowe the Copies of theyr first writinge and Remonstrance, and also of our Awnsweares, which are subscribed with our fowre handes, as shall appeare unto you if theie showld varrie from thes which I doe send unto yowe./Whilest theie weare heare theie presented other letters to hir Majestie from the States Generall, by the which is required that hir Majestie would increase the nomber of hir Horsebandes, wheareunto hir Majestie cawsed mee to geve them awnseare, that she thowght it strange that they would move hir to increase hir Charge, consideringe the excesse and burden that hir Majestie hitherto hath borne with continuance of hir charge from the beginninge, wheareas the charge of the States from the first beginninge hath been continuallie deminished, & never increa- sed till this daie: a matter of soe great inequalletie as hir Majestie hath cawse to thinke it as reasonable to have hir charges to be fol.93v
Later Addition: Belgia: 1591: February
deminished as theirs hath been: and yet hir Majestie perceiving that theie havinge had an intention of late to increase sum part of theire footemen and horsemen, thowgh not comparable to that was promised in their part in the beginninge, she wissheth that the same theire intention, might speedelie be executed; & according to this my awnsweare delivered to them, hir Majestie would have yowe to deliver the like to the States theare, if yowe finde that theie looke for anie awnsweare theareto: and uppon mention to be made for the in- rease of theire nombers, hir Majestie would have yowe to emploie all the meanes yowe cann to make sum exploit nowe against the Duke of Parmas preparations to goe into France, either to weaken his forces or to hinder his voiadge for utterlie to divert him yt is thowght not possible. Thus much towchinge the Deputies negotiation heer./ With the Deputies came divers merchants of Middleborowgh and Flushinge, and other Townes theare to followe their severall Com- plaintes for Arrestes made of their Shippes and goodes, with Requestes for Restitucions: All which weare putt into a brief Memoriall, and by [we] that weare Councillors the same weare committed to Master Awbraie & the Judge of the Admiraltie, whearein for the greatest part the marchants have been awnsweared as wee hope to their satisfaccion, and in vearie trewth such was hir Majesties [minde], and such also was our labors, as noe good meanes weare omitted to geve them awn- sweares and satisfaccion: and for such other perticulers of the same Complaints, as cowld not be presentlie well awnsweared, theare is order taken that uppon the proofes of the Complaintes, & the prosecucion thereof, theare shall be asmuch done to satisfie them, as by reason cann be devised. And to the intent yowe maie the better under- stand what hath been hearein proceeded, I minde to send yowe A perticuler Kalender of the same Complaintes and the awnsweares: & thearewith also I will send unto yowe a proclamacion published by hir Majestie, partlie uppon the occasion of thes Complaintes, and partlie uppon Complaintes made by the Seignories of Venice and Florence, for repression of such [.] /as/ of late have been fol.94rLater Addition: Belgia 1591 February
commited uppon the Seas, by men having aucthoritie to make Reprisall of Spaniardes goodes: Of which Procamacion yowe maie doe well to make the States and Counsell theare acquainted, soe hir Majesties [.] meaninge thearein: And as I tooke the paine in forminge theareof, soe I will vearie gladlie doe the best in my poore power, to see the Contents thereof observed, for in vearie trewthe, I have been ernestlie moved with noe little Anger against our Cuntriemen to see soe notable disorders committed under collor of Reprisall to committ verie kindes of Piracies: But so manie persons have interest in the gaine thereof, as I dare not promise so [due] execucion as I have desyre./I am commaunded by the Quenes Majestie to recommend unto yowe very ernestlie the state of Ostend, wheareof hir Majestie seeth that the States have not such Care, as both humor and necessitie requireth, and therefore in hir Majesties name yowe must treate both with the Counsell and the Generall Estates, that nowe presentlie before the D. of Parma shall be gon into France, the towne might be further fortefied with two more Cumpanies: for uppon the occasions geven to the Ennemie by the great services done by Sir Edward Norris, and the Garrison theare in spoiling of the Ennemies Cun- trie to their great detriment: and in taking and overthrowing two of their best Sconces neare to the towne, Blankenburgh & Odenburgh: It is knowen that the Duke, and spetiallie La Motte whose reputacion is towched by the overthrowe of thos forts, mindeth to attempt sum thinge before the Dukes goinge into France, by waie of Revenge, to the danger of that towne: and therefore the States owght in honnor, and for the common Cawse, and spetiallie to the Cumfort of the Capteine and Garrison of that towne of Ostend, to yeld unto him the aide of two Bandes presentlie for the defence of that towne: and after the Dukes forces shall be voided owt of thos Cuntries, the same maie either be revoked or emploied to the offence of the Ennemie./ Besides this hir Majestie would have yowe [Procure] that S[r Edward Norris, being Governor of the Towne for them, and not for hir Majestie might be better enha[bled] fol.94v
Later Addition: Belgia: 1591: February
by his Enterteinment, than it semeth his is, whearein I praie yowe deale as ernestlie as yowe cann, for the gentleman as yowe knowe hath noe [livelood] of his owne, as is of his owne nature liberall of anie thinge he hath emongest his Soldiers: It is also required by hir Majestie that the Contribucions, and other Revenues that are to be had theare, might be emploied in the fortefieng of the towne, and defence of it against the Sea: which if it maie be done, than the Band that is Cassed, and whose intertenment is nowe imploied for defence against the Sea, might be againe resolved, and [continued] for defence of the towne: which if it had not been imploied uppon the defence of the Sea, it is certainelie thowght, the sea had eaten up the towne by this time: and therefore the emploiment of the wages of that Band, hath been most necessarelie imploied thearein./Lastlie I am commaunded to recommend unto you an old suite to be er- nestlie moved unto the States in hir Majesties name for certaine sommes of monie dewe to poore victuellers in Flusshinge, by the two Bandes of Randolphe and Wingefeeld, which in the E. of Leicesters time weare transferred over to the service and charge of the States: The case I dowbt not but is knowen unto yowe of old, and nowe hir Majestie having been pitifullie sollicited, by certeine Deputies of Flusshing, on the behalf of som poore widowes, she would have yowe to deale with the States generall to yeld to the Releef of the said widowes. wherein if you cannot prevaile to gett the whole that is due unto them, yet if the States will yeld sum good portion thereof, it maie be summ occa- sion heareafterwardes to induce the Queene for charitie to releve the parties with sum other portion. Yowe maie thinke som slacknes in me that I have not geven yowe sum awnsweare to your request, which yowe by your lettres moved mee to make to hir Majestie, for license for your retorne, whearein I did so deale, as I cawsed hir Majestie to reade your owne request, wheareunto hir Majestie, seemed favorablie to encline. but to assent theareunto at this time she alledged such reason as I cowld not my self impugne, which was that your acquaintance was such with hir affaires theare, as untill she might see what might passe this sommer, considering thes matters of France, and also howe needefull yt weare to have the States theare ernestlie sollicited to impeach the Dukes forces intended [.] from [w]: And thearefore uppon thes reasons you are to take some pat[ience] for your aboade./ from my howss in westminster. 23 february 1590 Yours assuredly. W[illiam Burghley].
Postscript: I cannot at this time send yowe the Register of the Complaintes, but by my next I will./